


Model Material [EXTENDED]

by dobrien



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Alternate Universe - No Werewolves, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Derek/Kate past underage relationship, Everyone Is Alive, F/F, F/M, Famous Derek Hale, Famous Stiles Stilinski, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Insecure Stiles, Insecure Stiles Stilinski, Lydia/Laura is only mentioned, M/M, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Model AU, Model Derek Hale, Model Stiles Stilinski, Photographer Derek Hale, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-13 04:06:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12975501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dobrien/pseuds/dobrien
Summary: Stiles’ soulmate was a high class businessman who not only ran a fashion magazine but alsomodelledfor it when he felt like it.Will hopefully be updating once a week.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an updated version of a fic I wrote, Model Material, for a Sterek Fic Exchange. That fic was a one-shot and I never really liked how it ended so I made it multi-chaptered. Also, someone in the comments said it had potential to be a 30K fic so... (I don't promise that it will be that long.)
> 
> Tags and rating could change as I only have about four chapters written so far. 
> 
> The photos come from [here](http://enchantedevil.tumblr.com/post/107839195262/it-seems-that-stiles-stilinski-is-everywhere-from). There are two that I got from google images.
> 
> Lastly, I want to update weekly and hopefully over the Christmas break I'll manage that but college is hectic and updates will likely suffer when I go back next semester.

Children are taught from a young age, practically from the day they are born, that everyone has a soulmate. If the countless fiction novels and movies written weren’t enough, a whole module was placed in the high school curriculum supposedly put in place to teach teenagers about soulmates and soulmate marks. In reality all it really did was teach kids that not everyone got a soulmate mark, because the marks resided as tattoos, and only appeared on a person’s skin if their soulmate got a tattoo of the mark. It is more common than most are led to believe, but not everyone bothers even looking for or ever do find their soulmate, tattoo or no tattoo, and date other people who have also not found their soulmate.

Stiles ended up being one of the children who discovered they had a soulmate due to a tattoo. When he was fourteen and changing for gym class Scott gasped and pointed, yelling out, “Stiles has a tattoo!” and announcing the discovery to the entire year, well, the entire year who were in the boy’s locker room anyway. It didn’t take long for the girl’s locker room to find out though. Everyone wanted a glimpse of the thick black swirls on his back, wondering who the person sharing his tattoo could be.

He or she had to be at least 18 to have been able to get the tattoo, which meant that they were at most four years older than Stiles, a fact Stiles' father was not best pleased with. He wasn’t happy to find out that his only son could end up finding his soulmate at such a young age, or that they could be quite a bit older than him. Stiles himself was just disappointed that his soulmate wasn’t his girlfriend at the time, Heather, who broke up with him the day the mark was discovered.

The tattoo also meant that Stiles didn’t date throughout his school years, despite that fact that people with soulmate tattoos dating was common knowledge. Stiles was a determined person, and he didn’t give up easily. He was willing to wait if it meant that he got to be with the person who was supposedly perfect for him.

 *******  

Stiles pushed the door to the veterinary clinic open and waved when Scott appeared from behind the front desk.

"Are you not supposed to be working today?” Scott questioned as he unhooked the gate, letting Stiles past the staff only barrier.

“Got my break early because the place was dead.” Stiles shrugged. “Have you been busy today? Saved a kittens life?”

Scott rolled his eyes, “I’m not quite there yet. I have an exam next month that I’m studying my ass off for, though.”

Stiles nodded in interest. “That’s why I haven’t seen you much lately?”

“Yeah, sorry about that, I promise I wasn’t avoiding you.”

Stiles laughed, “Don’t worry dude, I know. You’ll ace the exam by the way, you always do." He reassured. "Can you take your break now? I've got baked goods that can’t be sold anymore.” Stiles held up a brown paper bag with the coffee shops logo printed on both sides.

“Deaton’s out so he can’t say no. I was just organising the front anyway.”

“Sounds boring,” Stiles said, already taking out his phone as he settled in one of the staff room chairs, which were actually just old chairs from the waiting room out front.

Scott took two dry plates from the drainer and unfolded the bag that Stiles had dumped on the table. “Less boring than making coffee all day."

Stiles was already glued to his phone, Scott’s comment unnoticed.

Scott divided the food between the plates and he looked up at Stiles to hand his hand plate over. He waited patiently as his friend failed to notice him, studying his phone instead.

“Come on dude, we’ve talked about this-”

“I know Scott, I know.” Stiles interrupted before he could go on.

Scott swallowed the first bite of a croissant. “Have you tried, I don’t know, magazines? Models have tattoos sometimes.”

Stiles looked up at the suggestion, waiting for Scott to meet his gaze before rolling his eyes dramatically. “I don’t buy fashion magazines Scott of course I haven’t checked them.”

Scott groaned, frustrated. “You can borrow mine.”

Stiles picked up a Danish pastry from his plate, and mumbled with his mouth full, “Sorry for snapping. Everything’s gone wrong this morning.”

"Already forgiven." Scott said as he handed over an issue of _Alpha Fashion Magazine_ to Stiles. “One magazine with all the fashion you could ever want.”

Stiles scowled at his friend but took the magazine from him and eyed the built man on the cover. “ _’Derek Hale, the CEO of Alpha, returns to the spotlight_.’" Stiles read in an exaggerated announcer tone, raising an eyebrow sceptically. "What does that even  _mean_?” 

“He used to model for the magazine but decided to step back from that a few years ago.” Scott informed him. Upon receiving a raised eyebrow from Stiles he added, “Just read the damn thing. Maybe it'll teach you a thing or two." 

“I dress fine.” Stiles muttered, but there was no defensiveness in his tone, he was too busy looking at Derek Hale on the cover of the magazine.

As they ate, Stiles reached page five, where Derek’s feature was. He was shirtless in a few of the pictures and as Stiles looked over one of the photos, black marks on his back caught his eye and he looked at it closer, curious. And then pulled back because that looked a lot like the tattoo Stiles had on his own back. He had looked at it enough in photographs, and in awkward angles in the mirror, to know what it looked like.

“There’s no fucking way- that’s too  _easy_ \- there’s not a chance in hell-”

“ _What_ , Stiles? What are you talking about?” Scott queried.

“Does this or does this not look like my tattoo?” Stiles questioned, thrusting the magazine into Scott’s face.

Taking it and moving it away from his face enough to see, Scott studied the picture Stiles was pointing towards. “Holy shit…” He breathed, eyes wide, “that actually looks like-”

“Hello? Are you open?” A woman’s voice shouted from the reception of the clinic, interrupting them.

“Hold that thought.” Scott muttered, dumping the magazine and his plate onto the table and fumbled towards the front of the clinic.

Stiles picked up the magazine, eyeing the pictures of the apparent photographer and model, biting his lip as he read the article half-heartedly. He tried to push the whole thing out of his head when he had to leave the clinic and go back to the coffee shop and neither Scott nor Stiles mentioned it again that day. That is until Stiles was chucking his things onto the coffee table in his small apartment later in the day and remembered the magazine that was rolled up and stuffed into his bag.

Stiles hummed to himself before relenting and turned his laptop on as he settled himself down onto his slumping couch cushions. He unrolled the magazine muttering, “Derek Hale…” to himself; opening Google and typing the name into the search bar.

The first link was to a website called _AlphaFashion.com,_ which Stiles assumed was the company website. Opening the website into a new tab, he looked at the results underneath, which were all links to social media accounts and interviews. Stiles clicked on images, hoping for an answer there, but most of the pictures that came up looked either old, from the photoshoot taken for the magazine that Stiles had already seen, or of him in business attire, the occasional Instagram picture from Derek’s personal Instagram account dotted in between.

Stiles hovered over the keyboard; ready to try another search but unsure if he was able to push through the embarrassment of actually typing the words into Google. He only had to type 'back' for 'tattoo' to come up, thankfully, saving him the embarrassment.

The problem now was that Stiles was faced with multiple images of the same toned back, most images allowing Stiles to see the same thick black swirls he had on his own skin.

Well fuck.

Stiles’ soulmate was a high class businessman who not only ran a fashion magazine but also  _modelled_  for it when he felt like it.

Stiles scrambled for his phone, the process of unlocking it taking several seconds because his fingers were shaking. It took far longer than it should have to open up his contacts and find Scott’s name but he managed it and he was talking without even saying hello when Scott answered.

“Dude you need to calm down I can’t understand you.”

“Derek Hale!” Stiles yelled back, pacing between his kitchen and living room.

“Derek Hale?” Scott parroted.

“He’s my soulmate.” Stiles breathed, the realisation of the situation hitting him finally after saying it outload. “Fucking  _Derek Hale_  is my soulmate.”

"Yeah, I know Stiles, I was there when you found out." Scott said nonchalantly. He was silent on the other end for a while before adding, “Doesn’t Danny model for Alpha?”

“What does that have to do with me  _finding my soulmate_? You read the magazine how could you not know he has the tattoo-”

“Did you even read the whole magazine?” Scott interrupted. “They’re advertising for a one-time model for their new underwear collection or something. Danny might be able to get you in if he puts in a good word.”

Stiles scoffed, “I can’t model underwear, Scott.”

“Just call Danny, Stiles. He’ll understand what you’re going through.”

Scott was right, Stiles had to admit, about Danny understanding. Danny had found out who his soulmate was in their senior year of high school when Jackson, his best friend, had shown up to school with a new tattoo. A new tattoo that had appeared on Danny’s own skin over the weekend. They didn't tell anyone how the talk they had after school went, but the next day they were holding hands as they walked to class.

*******

Stiles called him the next day, on his break, sipping at his black coffee as he waited for him to pick up. His eyes flicked between eyeing the overflowing trash can and the draining board overflowing with mugs in the deserted break room.

“Stilinski?” Danny answered, sounding rushed.

“Hey Danny, you busy?” Stiles made himself sit down before he wore the carpet down completely, eyes flicking over the women's health magazine that one of his co-workers had left on the table for something to do.

“I’m getting ready for a shoot but I have a couple minutes if this is important?”

“Um…” Stiles started to blush, even though there was no one there to witness the conversation. “I think I know who my soulmate is.”

Over at the Alpha Fashion building Danny held his phone between his shoulder and ear as he tied his boots, ignoring the worried looks that the makeup and hair department were throwing him. “That’s awesome, who is it?”

“Funny story…” Stiles laughed uncomfortably from the other end, “it’s, uh… it’s your boss. Derek Hale.”

Danny dropped his phone.

He snatched it back up before one of the employees surrounding him could, pressing the phone to his ear more firmly as if that would stop them hearing the conversation. “Let me find somewhere more private, give me a second.” Once Danny was in the privacy of a bathroom he started talking again, “You think your soulmate is my boss?”

Stiles felt a little stupid hearing the disbelief in Danny’s tone. “I saw his tattoo, Danny. It was the same as mine. The  _exact_  same.”

Danny ran his hand over his face. “Stiles… what do you want me to do? I can’t just tell my boss, ‘hey I have a friend who claims to be your soulmate’, can I?”

“You could get me a job?” Stiles asked hopefully. “Scott said they’re looking for a one-time model.”

“So,” Danny deliberated, “I’m supposed to convince him to give an old high school friend a job?”

“If you wouldn’t mind.” Stiles said, biting his lip.

Danny sighed, “Fine, alright. I’ll speak to him. But Stiles, don’t… just be careful okay? I'm sure he gets lots of people claiming they have the same tattoo. He might not be the kindest right away. Off the record… he can be an ass. He’s grumpy and not very conversational when he's not taking photos. I don’t even get to talk with him that often, I’ve only had a handful of conversations with him.”

“I know, Danny.” Stiles looked down at the carpet. “I don’t know what other option I have. I have to talk to him somehow. Even just a secretary job or something, I’m desperate.”

“I’ll try my best.” Danny promised. “I really have to go now though.”

*******

 

A week later Stiles had an interview with Derek Hale. Standing in front of the building Stiles took in a deep breath slowly, swallowing his nerves as he looked in through the glass doors of the headquarters. From the outside, on the streets of New York, the building looked clean and fresh, everything white and silver, with green plants placed carefully in what would appear to be an attempt at making the place look less like a hospital and more business-like. Behind the front desk Stiles could see a woman with blonde hair typing on a computer, phone pressed between her ear and shoulder.

“Thinking about going in or were you just going to look?” A male asked from behind him, making Stiles jump.

Stiles turned around in a hurry, the bag slung over his shoulder almost hitting the man behind him as he moved. “Sorry! Sorry, um, yeah-yes, I’m… going in…”

The man rolled his eyes, “Okay…”

“What? Oh! Yeah, right…” Stiles grabbed the handle and pushed the door open, holding it for the man behind him. He thanked him, passing Stiles and heading off to a coffee machine.

Sorting himself, Stiles walked over to the front desk nervously. Stiles waited for the women to finish her call, eyeing the certificates and business cards that were placed neatly over the glass counter.

“How can I help you?” The women asked, sending Stiles a scrutinizing look as she looked him over, her hand hovering over her phone.

“I’m Stiles Stilinski. I’m here to meet with Mr Hale?”

She looked at her computer for a moment, nodding. “Mr Stilinski, an appointment for 10:15?”

“That’s me.”

“Let me just check that he’s ready and then Isaac will show you to his office. Isaac!”

The man from outside walked over, capping a plastic coffee cup on his way. “You again.” Isaac smirked, “You must be here for the modelling job? I hope Erica and I haven’t scared you off.”

Stiles laughed awkwardly, “Um, yeah, I am. Here for the job, that is.”

“He says to send him up.” Erica said, picking up her own coffee and taking a sip.

“Thanks. I’ll take you to Mr Hale’s office, follow me.”

Stiles followed Isaac up two flights of stairs until they arrived at another glass door, this one with fogged glass so that it was impossible to see inside the room. Over the glass, in large letters, was  _Derek Hale – CEO_.  Stiles swallowed thickly.

“Bring him in Isaac.” A voice called out after Isaac knocked on the door.

Isaac grinned at Stiles and placed a hand on his back, pushing him into the room in front of him. “This is Mr Stilinski, Sir.”

Derek nodded Isaac goodbye and once the door was closed he motioned for Stiles to sit down. “Good morning, Mr Stilinski. Mr Mahealani spoke to me about you. He said you were interested in the temporary job we have available?”

Stiles was looking at his soulmate. His soulmate was sitting right there in front of him and all he wanted to do was jump over the desk and tell him. There was a strange feeling in the room, the same one he had heard Jackson and Danny, and Scott and Allison talk about.

Instead of mentioning it he asked, “I am. I hope Danny put a good word in.”

Derek smiled, “Mr Mahealani said you had never done this before but that you had a good body and that you’d look good in the clothes." Derek chuckled to himself, "Or lack of.”

Stiles gulped, realising how out of his depth he really was. “That’s, uh, good?”  _What was he supposed to say?!_

“You don’t sound so sure.” Derek teased. “It doesn’t matter that you don’t have experience, we take on a lot of new models. We'll have you do a trial job first, however. That’s what’s happening today. It'll be a bus shelter thing, to advertise the company rather than a new line. I assume you read the contract information that was sent to you?”

Stiles nodded. “Yes, I did.”

“Good. All I need you to do is sign this,” Derek slid a document over to Stiles, “and I’ll call Isaac to come get you.”

Stiles sat there, baffled, as Derek picked up his phone and called Isaac back up. When he put the phone down, he grinned at Stiles. “Don’t look so worried, Isaac knows what you’re supposed to be wearing and I know what I’m doing with a camera.”

“It’s not that Sir-”

“I just need you to fill in these forms, the rest of today will be less formal than this, I assure you.”

More documents were pushed towards Stiles for him to fill in. He took his time, partly to make sure he did it properly, but also because Derek was watching and the intensity of it made Stiles feel on edge.

Stiles was finishing up writing out his details on the form when Isaac knocked on the door. “Come in, Isaac.” Derek called.

“I have Stiles’ clothes ready, its rough measurements so I’m going to need him a little early in case they don’t fit him right, if that’s okay, Mr Hale.”

“Of course, Isaac. I’ll see you in an hour or so for the shoot, Mr Stilinski.”

Without further warning Stiles was being ushered out of the large fancy office and into the elevator. “How was your first encounter with the boss?” Isaac asked to fill the time.

Stiles offered an unsure smile. “He’s nice? I’m surprised he’s so happy to have me, it wasn’t much of an interview.”

“Mr Hale trusts Danny’s opinion, he’s been working here a long time. Don’t worry, you’ve got what it takes to model for us. He might even ask you to model full time.” Isaac winked at Stiles as the elevator doors opened. “We’re shooting in the showers today, all the lights and everything have been set up, so it’s just you we need to change.”

Stiles looked down at his red khakis and white dress shirt, frowning. “Will this be extremely uncomfortable?”

Isaac laughed as he disappeared inside the dressing room. “To take off maybe, wet clothes don’t come off easy.”

“Wet clothes…?” 

Isaac was back from the room, “I’ve put the clothes out for you. I’ll give you some privacy as you seem kind of shy. The makeup department will be here soon.”

Stiles was left alone after that, so he closed the dressing room door as quietly as he could (no lock,  _fantastic_ ) and went over to where a dark pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt were sitting. When he was changed into the surprisingly plain outfit Stiles took his phone out of his bag and called Danny.

“Hey Stiles, shouldn’t you be working?” He answered casually.

“What am I  _doing_ , Danny?”

Danny laughed from the other end, “It’s higher paid than any secretary job you’d get, and it involves working directly with Derek, I thought you’d be flattered.”

Stiles rolled his eyes, “If he sees the tattoo-”

“I thought that was the whole point? That he finds out you’re his soulmate?”

“Well yes-” Stiles tried again, but Danny was once again interrupting him.

“Then you’re welcome. I’ve got to go, good luck!”

Danny hung up before Stiles could complain some more.

“Ready for makeup?” A young man pushed the door open slowly and a women followed him with a cart. “I’m Liam, this is Hayden. We’ll be making you look photo ready.”

Isaac’s face appeared around the door as Liam and Hayden were finishing. “Ready Stiles?”

Isaac asked as he entered the room. “Derek’s waiting for you.”

Stiles was lead to the showers where wires were trailing all over the place, bright lights being turned on as Derek clicked away on his camera.

“The model is ready, Mr Hale.” Isaac spoke up before pushing Stiles into the room, as he had done earlier in the office, and abandoning him with the intimidating people around him.

Derek turned and smiled, nodding appreciatively at Stiles. “You look great! Step under the shower there and turn it on.”

Stiles gingerly stepped forward, “Just… in the clothes?” This seemed dangerous, there were electrical wires everywhere. Stiles decided it wasn’t his place to mention that.

Derek laughed, “Yeah, in the clothes.”

Stiles walked carefully over the cables and between the people standing around and stepped under the shower head. He twisted the handle and was assaulted with freezing cold water. Stiles yelped and jumped back, blushing at the chuckles he heard behind him. When the water was warm he stepped back under, already feeling uncomfortable in the wet clothes.

“That’s great Stiles, keep the shower running and turn towards me, try smiling.” Derek instructed.

Stiles did as he was told, trying his best to not look uncomfortable.

“Lean against the tiles.”

Stiles, again, did as he was told, and smiled at the camera.

Derek sent him a thumbs up and started taking pictures, moving for different positions. Stiles shivered as he was told to turn the shower off and sit on the floor. The water was cold and the room was chilly, but he did it anyway, because this was his job now, apparently, and Derek was supposed to be his soulmate.

“Cross your legs, Stiles, and put your right leg in front of you. Now lean forward a little.” Derek was reeling off positions and facial expressions and Stiles was just trying to make sure he did them all how Derek wanted. “That looks great Stiles, stay like that.”

After a few more photos were taken Stiles was ushered out of the room and two large and very fluffy towels were placed in his hands.

“Get dry and warm, we have another set of clothes for you to change into.” Isaac informed him. “Derek said you did great, so you don’t have anything to worry about. Just be changed and waiting here for two.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you find the pace quite fast right now it's because this was originally a one shot and I wanted to get to the new ideas I had, which would have taken longer to get to if I changed it. I hope no one minds my impatience!

Stiles received a call a week later to let him know that his pictures were being used and that he got the job. It was a week after that, on his way to catch the bus to work, that he saw one of the pictures on the bus shelter, in the space where advertisements usually were. There, on the shelter where strangers were sitting and standing around, was a picture of Stiles sitting, soaking wet, on the tiled floor of Alpha Fashion Magazines showers.

The ad was simply advertising the company,  _ALPHA_ written in the font it's known for, professional and clean cut. He knew this was happening, he had signed the paperwork and everything. The money had even been transferred into his bank account. Nevertheless, it was still a surprise to see the photo displayed on a bus shelter as he made his way to work.

“Hey, aren’t you on that board?” A young girl asked as Stiles continued to stare at the picture.

Stiles whipped his head around to look at the girl, mouth opening but no words coming out. “Uh…”

The girl laughed, “Are you alright?”

Stiles blinked, turned back to the board, turned back to the girl, and said, “That’s me, yeah. I’m alright… just a little shocked.”

The girl raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t expect to model and  _not_  have your pictures used, did you?”

“I wasn’t expecting to see them so soon.”

The girl raised an eyebrow and turned around, taking out her phone, and ignoring Stiles once again, like all the other people waiting for their buses were doing.

When he arrived at work there was a picture of Derek by another bus shelter. It proclaimed that Hale was ‘ _the man behind the fashion world'_ , but in the picture Derek was wearing a plain white t-shirt. Stiles didn’t understand fashion, he really didn’t.

*******  

Stiles was walking up to the building of the magazine the following Thursday, after being invited by Derek. Erica came up behind him as he reached the door, carrying two coffee cups from Starbucks in a tray. “Here to see Mr Hale?”

Stiles jumped at the sound of her voice, groaning as she laughed. “I didn’t hear you.”

Erica patted him on the shoulder with her free hand. “I assume people hear the heels, my mistake.”

“I’ll remember to listen out for them from now on.” Stiles replied, blush disappearing from his cheeks slowly.

A grin suddenly appeared on Erica's face, “Looks like you’re the new welcome face, Mr Stilinski.”

“What?”

Erica pointed towards the building and sure enough there was one of the photos from the second part of the shoot, a giant banner with Stiles, thankfully dry, hanging from one of the poles in the shower room and the name of the company written in the same professional font as the bus shelter ad.

Stiles wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to seeing himself like that.

He held the door open for Erica, who winked at him as she stepped over the threshold. “Mr Hale wanted to see me today.” Stiles hinted as Erica handed Isaac, who was sat behind the reception desk, one of the coffee cups.

“I’ll call him to let him know you’re here.” Isaac said, smiling warmly at Stiles.

Stiles waited as Isaac called Derek, trying his best not to listen in to the conversation, even though it was about him.

Isaac hung up the phone and turned his attention back to Stiles. “You remember where Mr Hale’s office is?” Stiles nodded. “He asked for you to meet him there, Danny’s there too. He’ll explain the shoot today. Oh- and congratulations.”

Stiles nodded, albeit a little confused, and with Isaac's prompting, moved towards the elevators, in the direction of Derek’s office. The office door was ajar when he reached the floor but he still knocked and waited for the reply before entering the room.

“Uh, hi Mr Hale, Danny.” Stiles smiled at Danny quickly before focusing his attention back on Derek. “Isaac said you would tell me about the shoot today?”

“Take a seat Mr Stilinski.” Derek said, motioning towards the chair next to Danny. “We’ve recently put the finishing touches on our new underwear line,” Derek began as Stiles sat, “and I’d like the two of you to help model it.”

“Um… thanks, sorry, I'm just surprised.”

“We chose your photos for the advertisement, didn’t we?” Derek replied, smiling gently. “This is me telling you that we would like you to participate in our new line.”

“But- I mean- I don’t really have the body for underwear?”

Derek laughed, “You have a body and you wear underwear, I assume,” The insinuation made Stiles blush, “therefore you have the body to model underwear. The message we’re going for is that our underwear is for everybody, not just the ones with the athletic build.”

Danny smirked and Stiles rolled his eyes. He had to admit, though, that Danny  _did_  have an athlete’s body.

“As you’ve probably heard I am getting back into being in front of the camera again.” Derek said, rolling his chair away from his desk. “Boyd will be taking my place for this shoot to give me the chance to be a part of it as well.”

Stiles didn’t realise how bad this was until they were down in the dressing rooms, the only item of clothing being the underwear and a robe. Derek, apparently, had no qualms about getting changed and immediately, professionally, started getting undressed. All Stiles could do was watch. Derek’s smart suit was left draped across his chair, and just as Stiles was wondering if he’d be receiving a full view of his boss’ ass, Derek slipped into his robe. Once the robe was secured he tucked his hands underneath as he said, “Something wrong, Mr Stilinski?”

“Oh-oh! No, sorry Sir, just nervous… I guess?” Stiles looked around for Danny for help but he had already left the room.

Derek turned after pulling the underwear on, to look at Stiles. “There’s no reason to be nervous here, Mr Stilinski. I wouldn’t have chosen you if I hadn’t thought you’d be good for the company.”

Stiles couldn’t help the flush that rose on his cheeks at the compliment. “Thank you… I’ll, um, be ready in a minute.” Stiles stuttered.

Derek sent him an encouraging smile, “I’ll be waiting out there.”

Stiles bit his lip as the door closed, hands fumbling as he undressed and slipped his legs into the overpriced but extremely comfortable underwear. With his robe securely tied around him, Stiles peeked out of the room, eyes scanning the area for Derek.

Derek smiled encouragingly when he noticed Stiles, waving him over. “Ready?” Derek asked as Stiles closed the door behind him.

Stiles smiled weakly, “Yes?”

Derek chuckled at his uncertainty, nodding. “Come on then, the camera is waiting.”

Derek led Stiles to where the shoot was taking place, talking all the while about the plan for the day.

“Danny’s going first for some solo shots, then I’ll go, and then you. Once the solos are done we’ll move on to group shots. It’s unlikely that most of the photos will be published in the magazine, but most will be used on the website and you can add all the ones with you in them to your portfolio.”

Stiles nodded slowly, trying to remember all the information. Danny was already disrobed and posing when they entered the room quietly.

Stiles’ stomach turned as Derek’s turn came and went, the photographer, Boyd, calling Stiles over.

“Hey, I’m Boyd.” He introduced himself. “You’re Stiles?” Stiles nodded almost uncertainly. “Alright, well just take that robe off and show us what you’ve got.”

“Um… okay.”

Stiles walked over to the chair that he had watched both Danny and Derek lay their robes on and carefully took off his own, folding it and setting it down. Keeping his back facing away from everybody else in the room he managed an awkward side-step walk over to be in front of the camera.

Trying his best to ignore the looks he received, Stiles smiled and nodded to Boyd to signal that he was ready.

“Alright Stiles,” Boyd started, “just relax and do what the other two were doing.”

Stiles tried his best to relax, no one was behind him and no one could see his back, which meant his secret was safe for now.

When they were taking their break, Stiles approached Danny. “What am I going to do?!” Stiles hissed.

“The whole point of this was to tell Derek that you are his soulmate, yes?” Danny replied, far too calmly for the situation Stiles was in.

“Well yeah, but now I’m here I don’t know how to explain it!”

“Well,” Danny began as he closed his water bottle, “he’s about to find out anyway.”

Oh shit, oh shit, oh  _shit_ , Derek was disrobing and making his way over to them, grinning at Stiles.

“You’re a natural Stiles.” He complimented as Danny and Stiles followed his lead and disrobed again.

“I want Derek slightly in front of Stiles.” Boyd instructed and Stiles breathed a sigh of relief.

All the way through the shots in twos to the shots with all three of them, no one noticed the tattoo on Stiles’ back. Until, because of course, the last shot.

“We need at least one photo of the underwear from behind so if you could all turn around…?”

Stiles panicked, and seeing his panic Danny also froze. “Shit…”

“What’s wrong?” Derek asked, confused. He was already turned around and ready for the last photo to be taken.

“Uh… why don’t we do something… more… interesting? For this one.” Danny attempted, biting his lip.

Boyd looked over to Derek for help and Derek considered the suggestion for a few moments. “Okay… what do you have in mind, Danny?”

The relief didn’t last long as Danny continued, “Well, you and Stiles both have back tattoos, which might take attention away from the underwear. Why don’t we do something like cover each other’s… backs?”

“Yeah!” Stiles piped up too quickly. “We could have our arms out, to cover the, um, the tattoos…”

“I didn’t know you had a tattoo.”

“Yeah…” Stiles smiled guiltily.

“I think we’ll stick to just having your backs showing, boys.” Boyd raised an eyebrow as if to challenge them to fight him on the subject. “Danny, go in the middle and the tattoos won’t be so distracting.”

Stiles sent Danny a panicked look, but he just shrugged, as if he couldn’t do anymore to help the situation, and did as he was told. Stiles sucked in a breath and stepped around to be on Danny’s left, swapping his weight from foot to foot as he cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit he had had since high school. The room fell silent as he turned around to have his back to the room.

“Oh... okay! Boys… just um- just stay there…” Boyd stuttered, and Stiles could see Derek frown out the corner of his eye.

“Boyd…?” Derek asked, concerned for his employee.

“Sorry, everything’s fine Derek. Just um…”

“What's wrong?” Derek turned around to see what was wrong with his usually calm and collected photographer.

“No! Stay there Derek- Mr Hale, it’s nothing!”

Derek turned to look where Boyd’s eyes kept landing. He stilled. Stiles was ready to flee the scene, his body jittering as the tension built in the room.

“… Stiles? Is that…?”

Stiles nodded reluctantly. “I can explain, Mr Hale.”

Derek sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll talk to you later, Sti- Mr Stilinski. Let’s get this shoot finished. I’ll make sure his tattoo is edited out of the picture myself.” The last comment was directed towards Boyd.

Stiles took a double take at Derek’s words. He wanted to cover up the fact they were soulmates? He wanted to just erase it?

Well that was okay. Stiles could take this like the grown up he was supposed to be. He could do that.

The photoshoot was finished briskly and silently and after Stiles was dressed he waited outside Derek’s office, nervousness fuelling his entire body. When Derek turned the corner of the corridor Stiles was surprised he didn’t throw up. Derek’s face was emotionless, forehead brooding, jaw set sternly.

“Come in, Mr Stilinski.” Derek unlocked his office and opened the door, stepping aside to let Stiles enter first.

“Mr Hale-”

“Don’t… just… sit down.”

Stiles nodded and sat down in the chair in front of Derek’s desk, keeping his head down but watching out the corner of his eye as Derek went around to his side of the desk and sat down in his chair.

It took a while for Derek to start, he didn’t know where to begin. “You’re an employee, and it would be unprofessional to date.” Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. “But… you’re apparently my soulmate and I guess that changes the rules.”

Stiles sank back in his own chair, “I know you can’t just bend the rules, Sir.”

Derek looked up, watching Stiles intently. “I think I can, just this once.”

“I lied, well no, I withheld information from you to get the job.” Stiles pointed out, no idea where he was going with this. “I had no idea why I thought I’d get away with this, I shouldn’t have put Danny in this position either-”

“Stiles just…” Derek interrupted, motioning with his hands for Stiles to get up, “come over here, please.” Stiles followed the request, getting up out of his seat and around the desk to stand in front of his boss. His  _soulmate_ , he reminded himself. Derek hesitated when Stiles was in front of him, slowly lifting his hands and motioning Stiles closer. Stiles bit his lip but followed the motion of Derek’s hands, taking a baby step forward, legs nearly hitting Derek’s knees.

Derek was frowning and it made Stiles nervous. “Derek… what’s going on?”

Derek looked up to meet Stiles’ gaze, frown leaving his face slowly as he seemed to make up his mind. “You’re my soulmate.” He said slowly and in a flash his hands were gripping Stiles’ arms and he was pulling the younger man down to be awkwardly kneeling over him in the chair. “I knew I felt something… I knew there was a reason…”

Stiles followed Derek’s lead and shuffled himself until he was situated more comfortably with his legs hanging by Derek’s hips, in the gaps between the armrests and the back of the chair. Derek’s hands were holding his hips to keep him up right and Stiles’ fingers were gripping Derek’s sleeves. Derek’s eyes flickered between Stiles’ eyes and mouth and then he was leaning in and kissing him. Stiles’ hand slipped into Derek’s hair and Derek’s hand moved from Stiles’ hips to his ass, fingers sliding into the back pockets.

At home, after no more than a heavy make out session, Stiles rested in bed, brain unable to shut off enough to sleep. Derek had _accepted_ him. _Him_! He was convinced that the outcome of all of this would be so much worse.


	3. Chapter 3

“Owe! Fuck you too espresso machine.” Stiles cursed, wiping his hands on his apron as he searched for a cloth to clean up the mess  _the machine_  had made. Not Stiles, the espresso machine. He was convinced that it had it out for him because in all the time Stiles had worked at the coffee shop it had only ever spilled hot coffee on  _him_.

“Is my order ready?” The women in a pantsuit snipped, flipping her hair over her shoulder impatiently.  

Theo, Stiles’ colleague, just had to go back to retrieve more of the special seasonal autumn cups during their busiest time in the morning, abandoning his job of preparing the drinks.

“Sorry Mam, problem with the machine. I’ll have it made for you in no time – Theo!” Stiles quickly cleaned up the mess and re-made the women’s drink, nearly forgetting to scrawl her name on the side of her new cup. “Thank you for your patience." He gave her one of his best customer service smiles before turning his attention to the next customer, "Next?”

“Pumpkin spice latte, no cream, please.” Derek requested, stepping forward.

“Derek?” Stiles asked, surprised.

“Stiles, I didn’t know you worked here?” Derek replied, sounding confused. He hadn’t talked to Stiles since they had kissed in his office four days ago. Stiles had tried calling but Derek had said he was too busy and was working late to catch up on paperwork that had been filled incorrectly.

“Um, well yeah.”

Theo came out then, carrying the box of to-go cups and dumped it lazily by Stiles’ feet. Stiles rolled his eyes and handed him Derek’s cup to prepare the drink. “The job with you was only temporary, remember? I need all the money I can get so…”

“Well, we should fix that.” Derek suggested softly. “A model just left us the other day, so there’s a spot open, if you’re interested.”

“I don’t know, Derek. I’m not exactly cut out for modelling. I think I'm better at taking orders.”

Derek shrugged, “Think about it.”

“Right.” Stiles nodded, watching Derek move down the counter to collect his coffee.

At seven that evening Stiles’ phone rang and he picked it up without looking to see who it was. “Hello?”

“Stiles, its Derek.”

“Oh, hi- hi.”

“Do you want to come over? I, um, have some beer that needs drinking.”

Stiles bit his lip in an attempt to hold back a smile. “I haven’t had much time to consider your offer.”

“Then let me convince you.”  

Stiles sighed, slumping down onto his couch. “When?”

Derek paused for a second before replying, “Now?”

“I have work tomorrow.”

“No you- oh, you mean the coffee shop.”

“If I agree can I hang up and get my dinner?”

Derek chuckled, “Yes.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, around six.”

“See you-” Stiles hung up before Derek could finish, laughing to himself as he imagined Derek pulling a tight jawed scowl at his phone.

“You know there is no need to play hard to get. He already has you.” Allison teased.

“You and Scott flirt, let me have this.”

“He did cook us dinner.” Scott added has he handed Allison and Stiles their cutlery.

“Okay, I’ll stop teasing. For now.”

Stiles took that as a win.

*******

Stiles was a nervous wreck when he arrived outside of Derek’s house - better described as a mansion. Derek answered the door in grey sweats and a loose t-shirt, barefoot. Stiles swallowed, trying his best not to look as if he were checking the other man out, although he definitely was.

“Hi.” Stiles gave an awkward wave.

Derek smiled gently and opened the door for Stiles to enter. “It’s nice to see you.”

Stiles nodded shyly, brushing a hand through his already messy hair. He needed a haircut, quite badly. “So… you were going to prove to me why I should quit my steady but minimum wage job and work for you instead?”

“Let’s start with a drink.” Derek suggested, taking Stiles’ hand as if he had done it a thousand times, like it was a reflex. He led the way through his extensive hallway to a large kitchen, far bigger than necessary for someone who was single and living alone. Handing Stiles a beer out of the fridge Derek’s face turned serious, “Can I make an assumption?” Stiles nodded, cracking open the beer and taking a sip, trying not to be rude. “Okay…” Derek paused, “so you took the temporary job because you saw a photo of my back and realised that we were soulmates?”

Stiles nodded shyly, “Yes.” He answered quietly.

“Why did you think that that would be the best way to talk to me?”

Derek seemed genuinely interested to know the answer, unfortunately all Stiles could offer was a shrug. “It was a spur of the moment thing. I was with my friend at his work and I was just looking through the magazine because it was there. I saw the photo and panicked. I mean, what were the chances that a fancy ass business man is going to want to listen to me explain how we’re soulmates because I say so? I assumed you’d get people trying that all the time, considering.”

Derek raised an eyebrow, “Considering what?”

Stiles’ cheeks heated lightly, “You’re a  _model_ , Derek. You run a famous magazine and you have money. People want to be your soulmate. You would have turned me away and my one chance would have been gone.”

“I don’t get many people trying to convince me that they’re my soulmate.” Derek corrected, still gentle, and then added, “You went by this the wrong way, Stiles.”

“Derek, I know-”

“I’ll forgive you.”

Stiles stood up straighter, placing his hardly touched beer on the marble counter. “It sounds like an ‘if’ is coming.” He whined.

Derek chuckled, “ _If_  you come work for the magazine, full time.”

“That’s all? You’ll forgive me if I work full time for the magazine?” Stiles replied, shocked.

“Yes, Stiles. I think it’s a pretty good deal.”

Stiles nodded animatedly. “Yes, of course, it’s a deal!”

Derek bit his lip to hold back a smile and pushed himself away from the counter, stepping forward into Stiles’ space. “Perfect.”

Derek initiated the kiss that came next, holding Stiles’ head in hands, pulling him close, and the next morning Stiles woke up with a smile on his face, Derek tucked under his arm. Derek woke up not long after Stiles, a similar smile gracing his features.

“Hope you own a collared shirt.” Derek smirked, laughing when all Stiles did was frown.

“Why would I need one?”

Derek pointed towards his large mirror. “Take a look.” Stiles pulled Derek’s sweatpants over his legs and inspected his neck, groaning loudly at the large splotchy mark above his collarbone. Derek picked up his camera from the bedside table. “Sit by the window.”

Stiles did as instructed while complaining, “These scratches  _hurt_ , you dick.”

“You weren’t complaining last night.” Derek shot back quickly, turning the lens of the camera before pointing it towards Stiles.

Immediately Stiles’ legs drew up to cover his bare chest, arms around his knees. “Don’t you dare,” He threatened uselessly.

“Just one, for me. I promise not to let anyone see it.”

Stiles gave in, putting his arms down by his sides and folding his legs down so that he was sitting with his legs crossed. His posture was sloppy, but Derek took the picture while he could. He smiled as he looked at it. Stiles’ face was cut off so that just his mouth and bare chest were in frame.

“Is it good?” Stiles asked curiously as he got up and sat by Derek on the bed.

“It’s alright, I guess.” Derek grinned, leaning in to give Stiles a quick kiss. “I’m kidding, it’s great.” He amended at Stiles’ pout.

"Promise no one will see it?" Stiles murmured, leaning against his soulmate fondly.

Derek pressed another kiss to Stiles' forehead. "I don't know... it's just cruel of me to keep you to myself."

Stiles laughed, hiding his face in Derek's shoulder, smiling. "What does that mean?" He asked after a moment.

Derek smiled to himself. "I found my soulmate, or rather, my soulmate found me. I'm not giving that up."

Stiles sat up straight, "You'll accept it? The mark? You’ll accept that as enough of a reason to date me? To be my boyfriend?"

Derek looked back at Stiles in disbelief. "Of course I will. I felt it when we met, I just didn’t know what it was." Derek paused for a moment, eyes wandering back to the photo. "But you do remember our deal, right? The reaction to the first shoot was pretty massive." Derek said, nudging Stiles' shoulder gently.

"Well then, I can't disappoint the fans." Stiles winked at Derek, standing up from the bed. "So, when do I start?" 

Derek stood to his feet after picking up his boxers from the floor and pulling them on. "You'll have to quit your job first." He took the few steps over to stand in front of Stiles as he spoke.

Stiles snorted, "Theo will be pissed. They’re already short staffed at the moment."

"Fuck Theo." Derek shrugged.

"I'd rather not, thanks." Stiles replied rather childishly. Derek rolled his eyes, but Stiles could see the hint of a smile. "Can I borrow a towel?" Stiles asked, changing the subject. 

"I'll show you where they are." Derek led Stiles to the bathroom and opened one of the cabinets under the sink. "Use anything you want." He gave Stiles another kiss before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. 

 

*******

Stiles gave in his notice the next day and by the following Monday he was making his way to the headquarters of Alpha Fashion Magazine for his first official day of work. Erica greeted Stiles with an almost predatory smile. “Mr Hale is waiting for you in room six.” She informed him.

Racks of clothes were lining the walls as Stiles made his way down the hall, nearly tripping over a couple wires on the way.

“Over here, Stiles. You’re a little late.” Derek sounded professional and slightly impatient, but it didn’t stop Stiles from kissing him on his way into his dressing room. Derek was a little surprised by the mild PDA, not that anyone was around to see.

Once changed, Stiles entered the room the shoot was taking place in. There was a set constructed in the middle of the room. In one corner was the makeup team, cameras and lights scattered along the other walls.

“We’re ready for you over here Stiles.” Liam called over. Stiles smiled at the familiar face and sat down in the chair, closing his eyes and trying his best not to change his neutral expression as the sponges and brushes tickled his nose. “Stand up, we’ve got to do your clothes too.” Liam instructed after he was finished with Stiles' face.

Stiles did as he was told, looking around the room now that his hair and makeup was finished, searching for Derek. He spotted him over by a camera, frowning and looking stressed. “Hey,” He started, turning to look at Liam, “is Derek, sorry, Mr Hale, is he okay?”

Liam bit his lip, “He’s had problems with this shoot. Mainly leaked information. If this doesn’t go well then it could be a problem.”

Stiles scoffed, “No pressure then.”

Liam grinned as he put down the brush he was using. “None at all, you’ll do great.”

“Thanks." Stiles smiled back.

“Stiles!” Derek called loudly, a few heads looking over to the man in question. “We’re ready to start.”

“He’s all done, Sir!” Liam replied, nudging Stiles over to the set.

The shoot took all day, and on a few different locations near by including a gas station. By the time Stiles was wiping off the makeup he was ready to go to bed and sleep for the next 24 hours. Models didn’t have it easy, it turned out.

“Let’s go out for dinner.” Derek suggested as he wrapped his arms around Stiles’ waist, surprising his boyfriend.

Holding his hand over his heart, Stiles groaned. “Don’t do that.” He looked around and everyone had already cleared out of the room, the space now empty. “Dinner sounds nice though.” Stiles added, returning to cleaning his face off. When he was done he dropped the makeup wipe onto the table and awkwardly turned around until he was facing Derek. “Does the invitation last all night?”

Derek pecked Stiles’ cheek and let him go, “Always will.”

Stiles was grinning. “Then I’ll go home first and grab a change of clothes.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do people think of using photos? I like it but I'm sure there are some that don't. After this I'll probably only use them once or twice, so if they're not your thing then don't worry about being annoyed by them anymore, I guess?

Derek couldn’t help but notice how quiet Stiles was being during dinner so as they waited for dessert to arrive he reached across the table and took Stiles’ hand in his own. “Why’re you so quiet?”

Stiles frowned, “I didn’t think I was being quiet.”

“You are.” Derek shrugged. “So what’s up?”

“I’ve just been thinking.” Stiles wouldn’t look Derek in the eye as he spoke.

“About…?”

Stiles sighed, “You wouldn’t have acknowledged me if I hadn’t had the tattoo. I would still be making coffee and wearing an ugly apron if it weren’t for the mark on my back.”

“Stiles-”

“I’m not done.” Stiles interrupted. Derek nodded for him to continue. “We’re told that the mark means you’re meant for each other but if that’s the case then how come not everyone has one? How come people who do have one don’t find each other?”

“That’s just how life works.” Derek supplied, leaning back in his chair as their waitress gave them their food.

“If you hadn’t got a tattoo, we’d never have met.” Stiles continued after thanking the waitress, picking up his spoon. “Even though we’re meant to be soulmates, getting or not getting a tattoo determines whether or not you find each other. I spent high school thinking that I  _had_  to meet my soulmate or I’d never be happy.” Stiles paused as he scooped up some ice cream. “You never looked for yours.” Stiles said, trying not to sound like he was accusing Derek of something.

“As far as I was concerned I had.”

That took Stiles by surprise. “You're going to have to elaborate."

“Kate, my high school girlfriend. We broke up.”

“I’m sorry.” Stiles slouched in his chair, turning the spoon around with his fingers.

Derek smiled gently. “If it wasn't clear enough, I've moved on, did a long time ago."

Stiles looked up finally and met Derek’s eyes. “I’m not trying to question this... but I think I rushed into it without sitting back to consider what I was doing, and it’s only now that it’s really hit me that I have an actual soulmate. Out of all the people it could have been…”

“I feel the same way, you know.”

Stiles nodded shortly and they finished their food in relative silence.

“When did you get the tattoo?” Stiles asked on their way home.

“When I was 20.”

“Why’d you get it?”

Derek shrugged, “It’s a family thing.”

Stiles nodded. “Okay.”

A few days later the clothing line promotion photos were released and on the same day Stiles received a text from his dad asking him why he was looking at his son on a billboard with the title of ‘Alpha Model’.

Stiles had a lot of explaining to do.

*******

This was not a conversation Stiles wanted to have. It wasn’t even the whole “I found my soulmate!” part that had Stiles worried, it was the whole “my soulmates a man” part. Stiles’ dad wasn’t the kind of man who would shout and belittle and be openly disgusted over a gay couple. Stiles knew he wouldn’t be disowned by his father for this. It was just… his dad wanted grandchildren. His dad wanted his son to marry the “perfect woman for you, even if she is much older and likes tribal tattoos” and have a baby with Stiles’ eyes and her hair. It was the way his dad had always spoken about Stiles’ future, so to let him know that that wasn’t happening, that his soulmate was a rich public figure and most definitely not a woman… that wasn’t an easy thought to have.

Stiles pressed the call icon with a shaking finger, lips pressed between his teeth as it rang, pacing around his small apartment.

“Son,” His dad answered, “how are you?”

“Uh, hi, hi dad, I’m good. How are you?”

“Confused, Stiles. You didn’t reply to my text.”

Stiles nodded to himself letting out a long breath to stall replying. “Yeah-no, sorry. I wanted to have this conversation in person.”

His dad chuckled, “Why do you sound so nervous? I assume from the billboard that you’ve got a new job?”

Stiles laughed nervously, running his free hand through his hair. “Yeah, I did. It’s fun. I like it.”

“Well, tell me how you managed it!” His dad sounded excited for him, pleased. “I want to know what to tell the deputies when they tell me they saw my son in a magazine.”

Stiles sat down on his bed, leg bouncing as he collected his story. “It was actually Danny. You remember him, right? He gave a good word in for me.”

“I remember him, you were chemistry partners, right?"

"Yeah we were."

"Why did he do that?”

“That’s, um, that’s the hard part to explain. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier but everything happened kind of fast. I found my soulmate, dad.”

“Stiles! That’s fantastic! Who is she? Does she work for the magazine?”

“They do yeah, but dad, it’s not a woman. Sorry.”

“Okay. That’s okay, son.”

“Yeah?” Stiles couldn’t help but ask, relieved.

“Yes, of course. Did you think I would be upset?”

“I just… you’ve always mentioned wanting grandchildren and I didn’t want to disappoint you-”

“Stiles,” John interrupted, “shoosh. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel pressured to… to give me that. It’s not my decision to make, if you have children. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“If you do ever... if you ever want to be a parent, even if you were with a woman, there are so many options out there, Stiles. I’m sorry if I made you feel boxed in.”

“Thanks, dad.”

“So… who is he?" 

"You won’t believe this," Stiles chuckled, "it’s the CEO, Derek Hale.”

His dad was silent.

“Dad?”

“No.” It was curt, final.

Stiles gaped, trying to understand the sudden turn the conversation had taken. “Look dad-”

“No, Stiles. He’s not your soulmate. Not him.” The Sheriff replied calmly, voice even.

Stiles blinked back the sudden tears forming in his eyes, wiping the corners of his eyes. “Dad…” Stiles trailed off unsteadily.

“We’ll… we’ll talk about this later.” He replied, still calm. “We’re gonna be fine.”

“But dad...” Stiles didn’t want this conversation to end so quickly, so unfinished and unresolved. His father stayed silent on the other end of the line. “Why… what’s wrong with him?”

John sighed, “We’ll talk about this later.”

John hung up the phone but Stiles let it ring in his ear for a moment, taking in his dad’s reaction. “Oh… shit.” Stiles mumbled to himself.

He hadn’t expected him to be so cold. Stiles hadn’t realised he had been standing in the same spot in his apartment for so long, because suddenly his phone was ringing again, Derek’s name lighting up the screen.

Stiles answered the phone shakily. “He-hey, what’s up?”

Derek frowned. “Are you okay, Stiles?”

“My dad… he… I…”

“Hey, I’m here baby. Has something happened to your dad? Is he okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, he’s okay, he’s fine. It’s just… he called- or I called. He saw an ad with, well, me on it.”

“Did you not tell him you were working with the magazine?” Derek chuckled and Stiles heard the sound of a brief case snapping shut.

“No? Everything happened so quickly and he’s always so busy… I just… kind of forgot?”

“Is he… angry? Is he not okay with you dating another man?” There was an edge to Derek’s tone, he sounded angry at the thought of Stiles’ father not accepting him.

“No, no, no, he doesn’t care about me being bi. I think he’s known since high school. He just… he cares that it’s you, I guess? He doesn’t trust you, I don’t think.”

“Oh.” Stiles listened to the noises of the office building as Derek left work. “I’ll be home in a little while, I can come pick you up first if you want? Maybe we could call your dad together, arrange for him to come meet me?”

Stiles bit his lip as he thought the offer through. “We could try that.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Text me your address, I still haven’t been over.” Derek pointed out as he unlocked his Camaro (Stiles teased him about not needing a car like that when he lived in New York, but he still took the chance to drive it when Derek offered).

“O-or I could meet you at yours? It’ll be a bit out of your way to come by mine, I think.”

“You sure? I don’t mind getting you Stiles.”

“No, no, I’ll see you at yours.” Stiles reassured.

Derek buckled his seatbelt one handed as he replied, “Okay, I’ll see you at mine.”

“Yeah.” Stiles hung up promptly, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes, suddenly tired.

By the time Stiles had got to the subway and walked from the subway to Derek’s, Derek was already home. Stiles rang the doorbell, rocking back and forth on his feet as he waited for Derek to answer.

“Hey.” Derek grinned when he opened the door.

“Hey.” Stiles smiled hesitantly.

As Stiles took his shoes off Derek shut the door. “Do you want to call him now? Or wait a while and give him some breathing space?”

Stiles stood up straight. “I think he needs some space. He wasn’t even pissed, he was just calm. Angry but calm.”

The topic was dropped after that.

*******

Two weeks went by without incident, until on a Thursday when Derek had to take a taxi home because his car was in the garage and he had forgotten his camera on the backseat. His _personal_ camera.

Derek had called the taxi company and explained the situation, gave them the taxi’s license plate, and the camera was returned within two days. Without the memory card. Which would be fine, Derek saved all his photos to his computer and a memory stick (it never hurts to be over cautious), except the photos of Stiles, the shirtless photos he took during the morning after or a few minutes after sex, _those_ photos were on that memory card. Derek had promised Stiles that those photos wouldn’t get out and that the camera usually stayed safely behind in his home. It was by chance that he had taken it with him to work the day that he had forgotten it.

“What the hell is this?” Lydia Martin, Derek’s PR manager questioned, storming into Derek’s office, phone in hand.

Derek took the phone from her, already guessing what the problem was before he could even see the photo. “Um…”

“Mr Stilinski, am I correct?"

Derek let out a long breath, scrolling down further on the page to see more photos of Stiles (minus Stiles’ face). “I forgot my camera in a taxi the other day.”

“And now those photos are all over the internet! You’re lucky his tattoo isn’t visible in any of them.”

“Does Stiles know?”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “It’s his day off so I haven’t seen him. Call him. If you’re going to keep your relationship a secret I’d advice maybe _not_ taking photos of yourselves after sex.”

“They’re not-” Derek stuttered but Lydia was already taking her phone back and storming out the door.

Derek sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair in agitation. “Fuck.”

He called Stiles after his first meeting of the day, bouncing his leg as the phone rang. “Hello?”

“Hey, Stiles, it’s me.”

“Oh! Hi, sorry, I was just in the shower.” Stiles replied. “What’s so important that you’ve got to call me while you’re at work?”

“I can’t just want to speak to you?” Derek asked, completely out of character. He knew Stiles would see right through it. When all Stiles did was laugh, he gave in. “Yeah, okay. Lydia just yelled at me for losing my camera the other day.”

“You lost your camera?”

“Yeah… the personal one.”

“Derek!”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry Stiles, I don’t usually take it to work but I did and I’m sorry. None of the photos have your face in them though.”

“And that makes it okay?”

“No. It’s going to be fine, Lydia can handle this. She’ll get it taken down.”

“You can’t just erase what’s on the internet, Derek!”

“No one will know it’s you.”

Stiles sighed heavily.  “How did they know it was your camera?”

“There’s work photos on there too. Probably worked it out from those.”

“You promise no one will recognise me?”

“I… I can’t promise that. I can assure.”

“Fine, okay, it’s alright. It was an accident.”

“Of course it was an accident.”

“This is a mess.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll see you after work then?”

“Yeah. Remember my dad is visiting this weekend.”

"I remember." Derek was dreading the next day already.


	5. Chapter 5

“I, um, I offered dad a bed at my place but he wanted to book a motel so…” Stiles mentioned as he placed his mug in Derek’s sink.

Derek nodded. “What’s the address?”

“I’ll give it to you on the way.”

When Derek parked the car at the motel he made a move to get out but Stiles gripped his arm, holding him back. “You? You’re not going in there!”

“He needs to hear it from me.” Derek insisted, reaching for the door again and opening it. “Stay in the car?”

Stiles rolled his eyes but agreed. “If he shoots you I can’t be held responsible.”

It was Derek’s turn to roll his eyes. “You won’t be.” Derek leant back over into the car to kiss Stiles briefly before exiting and closing his door.

John opened the motel door expecting Stiles to be on the other side, not Derek Hale. He nearly closed it, but stopped himself at the last second. “You must be Mr Hale.”

“Yes, Sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Save it. I’m not a business deal and neither is my son.”

Derek was slightly taken aback by the abruptness but tried his best not to let it show on his face. “Of course not, Stiles is… everything to me, Mr Stilinski.” 

“It’s Sheriff Stilinski. Come sit down.” John gestured for Derek to enter, slamming the door louder than necessary to make a point. John took a seat himself. “I can’t understand what someone like you would want from someone like my son.” John started, getting straight to the point.

Derek opened his mouth but couldn’t think of what to say, “I don’t- I don’t want anything from him. He, he must have told you how we met, did he not? We’re soulmates, I can’t just ignore that. I don’t _want_ to ignore it.”

“I don’t mean to sound like I’m not proud of Stiles… but I can’t see what someone with the power you have, would see in a kid barely out of college? Why would you hire him in the first place?”

“He was recommended by a trusted employee. Danny Mahealani.”

John nodded. “I know who he is, they went to school together.” Derek nodded. “But that can’t be all, am I wrong?”

“I felt a pull… or, not a pull, but an instinct. I just knew I should hire him. I assume it’s the soulmate part that did that.”

“I’ll need time, Mr Hale." John said after a pause. "To get my head around this.” He paused again for a moment before adding, “I still don’t trust you. I know what happened in Beacon Hills. I assume my son does not.”

“No, he doesn’t. And I understand.” Derek replied, looking down at the table he was sat at. "He doesn't even know I'm from there." 

“Do you have anything else to say?”

Derek swallowed thickly, “I love him.”

John sighed heavily, resting his head in his hand, elbow resting on the table. “Okay.” He smiled, briefly. “Okay.” He repeated, nodding. “Thank you for speaking with me, Derek.”

John reached forward towards what Derek noticed was a bottle of Jack Daniel’s sitting on the table. There was already one sitting on the counter, Derek had noticed when he walked in. He frowned, and despite the egg shells he was already walking on around the man, took the bottle from the Sheriff’s hand and placed it back down on the table.

John smiled again. “Thanks.”

Silence fell upon the room, Derek midway through standing up, John staring down at his empty glass. The silence was broken by Stiles, standing in the doorway. “You love me?”

“Stiles-” Stiles fled from the room, Derek following him quickly, pausing to close the door and send the Sheriff an apologetic smile. “Stiles slow down!”

“You _love_ me?!” Stiles yelled.

“Stiles, this isn’t the place for this conversation.” Derek tried replying calmly, walking up to Stiles and taking a hold of his hand. “Let’s go back to mine, yeah?”

Stiles shook his head, pulling away from Derek to look up at him. “You love me.”

A smile tugged at Derek’s lips, “Yes, Stiles, I love you.”

Stiles grinned suddenly, leaning up and kissing Derek, head between his hands to keep him there. “I love you too.” Stiles murmured into the little space between them. “Fuck, Derek…”

Derek smiled, pulling away from Stiles but taking his hand. “My place?”

Stiles laughed, “If we don’t have I love you sex I’m going to be pissed.”

Derek rolled his eyes, starting the car.

*******

When Stiles woke up the following morning Derek was pacing up and down his bedroom, sweatpants hanging low on his hips. If it weren’t for his sour expression Stiles would have watched the scene, instead of interrupting it. “What’s wrong?” He mumbled groggily, sitting up and sliding himself to rest his back against the headboard.

Derek raised a hand in Stiles’ direction, which was when Stiles noticed the phone pressed to his ear. “Lydia- yes, I understand- I didn’t see! I know I should- why is it such a bad thing any- yeah, I get that- can I talk please?! Thank you.” He sounded exasperated. “You can’t see his face in the photos, and its dark, no one can tell it’s him.” There was a pause. “No one will be able to ask questions before it all blows over.” Another pause. “Why the fuck would you book an interview with Entertainment Weekly?! Sorry, no, I know I shouldn’t swear at you but seriously- okay, okay. Stiles is awake. Yeah, talk to you later. Bye.”

“Do I get to know what the issue is?” Stiles joked, raising an eyebrow at Derek.

“This is serious, Stiles. Some asshole, some fucking desperate fucking asshole saw us last night and sold the photos to the press.”

“I’m still a little lost.” Stiles admitted.

Derek picked his iPad up from the bedside table and handed it over, the screen unlocked to a Safari tab, a news link staring back at Stiles. A picture of Stiles and Derek kissing was on the home page. Stiles scrolled down, reading the article.

 

**_Has CEO of Alpha Fashion Found His Soulmate?!_ **

      
_Written by Matt Daehler, 9:15, 28 th October 2017._

_[Above left: CEO of Alpha Fashion, Derek Hale. Right: Alpha model, Stiles Stilinski.]_

_The CEO and head photographer of_ Alpha Fashion Magazine, _Derek Hale, was seen late at night outside of the Glen Capri Motel with an unknown man. The source says he spotted the black Camaro Hale is thought to drive turn into the motel parking lot, and so he followed. He saw Hale enter a motel room, the unknown man enter a short while after and then the two men left suddenly, shouting in what appeared to be a heated argument._

Stiles scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Does this count for journalism? Seriously?” Derek didn’t reply, just kept on pacing. “‘ _Without invading Hale’s privacy, we must ask, who is this man?! Is it Alpha’s new model, Stiles Stilinski? Has Hale been hiding his soulmate from us?!’_ It’s a little late to be worried about invading our privacy, don’t you think?” Stiles put the iPad down and shuffled to the edge of the bed, grabbing Derek’s hand as he passed him. “Hey, hey stop. Derek, _stop._ It’ll be fine. It’s just a stupid article.”

“Lydia booked an interview with Entertainment Weekly before this came out, I can’t cancel or they’ll know somethings up, but if I go they’ll ask questions. I’m so screwed.”

“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if people knew.”

Derek frowned, “Of course it would be bad! I can’t be seen dating an employee. It’d be bad PR.”

“Who the fuck cares about PR?” Stiles replied angrily. “You can’t hide me forever. You already lost that when you forgot your stupid camera in a taxi.”

Derek stood up angrily, striding over to his wardrobe to get a t-shirt. “For now, it’s best.”

Stiles didn’t respond for a few moments, but eventually he stood up as well, picking his clothes up from the chair he had left them on the night before and pulling them on as Derek entered his en suite to take a shower. Stiles left before Derek was finished, checking he had enough money for the subway home first.

As Stiles was stepping off the subway his phone buzzed with four texts from Derek, asking him where he was, why he’d left without telling him, that he was sorry if it was something Derek had said. Stiles glared at the concerned messages, putting his phone back into his pocket as he walked.

The cupboards were empty when Stiles got back to his apartment. He groaned, giving up on the idea of breakfast and showering instead, focused on dressing in clean clothes and putting on a load of laundry to distract himself from Derek’s hurtful words.

Okay, so maybe storming off was a little childish. Maybe it would have been better to stay and talk it through with Derek, avoiding a fight.

Stiles flung himself down on his bed, retrieving his laptop from the floor and logging into Netflix once it had turned on. He stayed there for the next three hours, re-watching _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_ until he got a call from Scott inviting him out for coffee. He hadn’t spent much time with Scott since meeting Derek so he reluctantly agreed. He found reasonably clean clothes (Stiles really needed to do some laundry), throwing a snapback over his messy hair, and left leaving his phone charging by his bed.

When they were seated in their usual corner table Scott got straight to the point, “I saw the articles.”

Stiles groaned. “Please, don’t.”

“Are the photos of you?”

“In both cases, yes.” Stiles admitted.

Scott nodded. “How did they get released?”

Stiles snapped the plastic spoon he had been stirring his coffee with. “Derek lost his camera in a taxi.”

“Oh. I thought maybe he’d been hacked or something.”

“Nope, just stupid.” Stiles frowned down at his mug. “ _I_ was stupid. I let him take those pictures.”

“You’re not at fault in this situation. He promised you that those would stay private, right?”

Stiles shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Then you can sue! Data protection and whatever.”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Thanks for trying, Scotty, but I don’t think so.”

“What are you going to do, then?”

“Nothing. He wants to keep it a secret.”

“That’s it?” Scott asked, bewildered. “You’re just going to forgive him?”

“What else am I supposed to do?”

“He’s _rich_ , Stiles! Make him pay, literally.”

“How?”

Scott was grinning mischievously. “I have an idea.”

*******

Stiles headed straight to the fitting room when he arrived at work the next day, having ignored Derek’s attempts to contact him. He was shooting with Boyd which meant hopefully no run ins with Derek would occur. Danny had said he didn’t stray far from his office most of the time.

He was called up to his office at lunch, Isaac sending him an apologetic smile as passed on the request. He knocked but didn’t wait for the go ahead to enter.

“You wanted to see me?”

“I shouldn’t have to go through Isaac to get you to talk to me.”

Stiles closed the door behind him and took a seat in one of the chairs facing his desk. “I shouldn’t have to hide who my soulmate is.”

“The important people know.”

“This is going to become a scandal that could be avoided if you make us public.” Stiles countered. “What about dates? What happens when I want to see the new Star Wars movie? Scott isn’t going to go with me. I want to _do things_ with you, couple things. I can’t have that if we’re hiding.”

“I'm going to go ahead with the interview on Friday. I’ll tell the truth, if they ask about you.”

Stiles looked over at Derek. “You will?”

Derek smiled to himself. “I’m not ashamed of you, Stiles. You were right, I can’t hide you forever. I don’t want to.”

“You’re not worried about what they’ll say?”

Derek reached his hand over to take Stiles’. “I am. But I’m not ashamed. You’re my soulmate, Stiles. I want people to know. I thought maybe before the interview we could do a spread in the magazine.”

“Of us?”

“Yeah. Get the word out before an outside source can.”

“I like that idea.”

“I better get planning, then.” Derek smiled, putting his glass on the table and leaning over to kiss Stiles.

“Wait, wait, wait a second.” Stiles pulled away. “I don’t want you to feel forced to do this.”

Derek smiled gently. “I don’t.”

Stiles paused for a moment before replying, “Okay.”


	6. Chapter 6

The magazine spread looked good - amazing even, and its reception was more than expected. Comments on the magazines website were flooding in with praise, the companies Facebook and Twitter accounts were bombarded.

“Stop looking at that.” Derek chided, closing Stiles’ laptop.

“I was reading that!” Stiles whined, frowning up at his boyfriend.

Derek ignored the complaint. “You’ll find something negative eventually and I’m not putting up with that again.”

“The comment was mean! There was no need to suggest photoshopping my moles out of my pictures.”

Derek sighed and pulled Stiles up from his chair, drawing him in close. “No, there wasn’t.” Derek smiled gently, running a hand through Stiles’ hair. “But you were still bummed about it, for nearly a week. I don’t want you feeling like that again. Especially if it’s because of a comment about our relationship.”

Stiles shrugged as he leaned into Derek’s touch. “I’ve only found constructive criticism.” He sounded almost disappointed. “How, in over five pages of comments, is there no hate?”

“We have staff that moderate the comments on the website.”

“Why?”

Derek kissed Stiles before answering. “It isn’t helpful to anyone to have to read hateful comments. My last meeting was actually about making it so that comments are monitored before they go public.”

“Oh that’s-” Stiles’ phone started ringing then, cutting him off. He apologised to Derek as he as he accepted the call. “Hello?”

“It’s me, son.”

“Oh, hi dad.” Derek raised his eyebrows and sent Stiles an encouraging smile before exiting the room to give him space to talk to his father privately.

“I bought the magazine today, the first time ever. I thought the clerk would judge me but they didn’t bat an eye.”

Stiles chuckled. “Did you read the article?”

“I did.” They were both silent for a moment. “I’m very happy for you. And I’m very proud of you.”

Stiles smiled to himself, fiddling with the drawstring of his hoodie. “Yeah?”

“You’re making a name for yourself in New York, of course I’m proud.” Stiles laughed along with him. “Is he treating you right?”

“He’s treating me too well, to be honest.” Stiles gushed. “You should see his apartment, it puts mine to shame.”

“You thinking of moving in together?”

Stiles hesitated. “It hasn’t come up.”

“That’s alright, you’ve got plenty time for that.”

“I know.”

Stiles would  _love_ to live in Derek’s apartment with him, his own apartment had damp and was too small for even just one person, but it was all Stiles could afford. Although the money he was making from modelling was considerably more than his previous minimum wage job, he still needed to save for quite a long time before he could afford somewhere better.

There were murmurs on the Sheriff's end of the line, John sighing heavily to whoever he was speaking with. “Sorry," He appoligised, "I’ve got to go now, Stiles. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay, love you.”

“Love you too.”

He left the bedroom in search of Derek and found him lounging in the living room, feet propped up on a cushion, two coffee mugs on the table. On coasters, of course.

He let his presence be known with a soft, “Hey,” as he made his way to lean down behind the arm of the grey couch and kiss Derek’s forehead. He was on his phone, checking emails, as always.

“You need to work on your work-life balance.” Stiles commented as he sat down by Derek’s feet. “Thanks for the coffee.”

Derek looked up from his phone. “I can’t ignore important emails.”

“It’s a Saturday.”

“People work on Saturdays.”

Stiles frowned, running his fingers over Derek’s sockless foot, making him squirm. “What is it?”

Derek pulled his feet back away from Stiles’ hands, still not looking up from his phone. “Nothing.”

Stiles set his coffee down to avoid spilling it as he crawled over Derek’s legs and under his arms, his head covering the phone screen. Now in Derek’s face he had his attention. “Seriously. What’s up?”

“My sisters,” Derek sighed heavily, “they want to meet you.”

“Laura and Cora?”

Derek nodded. “They want to have dinner at your place. To ‘get to know you better’.”

“I can do that.” Stiles replied without hesitation.

“You don’t have to.” Derek said, running his hands up and down Stiles’ back, his phone discarded between them and the back of the couch.

“It would look bad if I said no.” Stiles teased, leaning down to kiss Derek sweetly, slowly deepening the kiss. “Before we arrange a date how about we spend this Saturday morning the right way?”

Derek rolled his eyes but didn’t hesitate in pushing Stiles off him and standing up, all but dragging him to his bedroom.

*******

“What do I do?!” Stiles nearly shouted through the phone to Scott after he arrived home that night, once again refusing a ride from Derek.

“I don’t know, buddy.” Scott found the situation  _amusing_. Did he not realise the seriousness of it? “Why don’t you just have your fancy dinner at yours?”

“My table barely has room for two people and it’s held together by duct tape, Scott. I can’t meet his sisters in those conditions.”

“You’ve got savings.” Scott shrugged on his end of the phone. “Why don’t you buy a new table?”

Stiles laughed, as if the suggestion was inconceivable. “Those savings are for a new apartment.”

“You’re just going to move in with Derek at some point, what’s the point in saving for a new one?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?”

“Saying what?”

“That I’ll move in with Derek! He hasn’t mentioned it, ever. I’m not going to assume anything.”

“You’re soulmates dude, you’re together forever.”

“Being soulmates doesn’t mean that. Soulmates break up sometimes.”

“Allison and I haven’t.”

“You and Allison are nauseating.”

Scott laughed. “I don’t know what to tell you, Stiles.”

Then Stiles got an idea. “I know! I could host at your place!” He never said it was a  _good_  idea.

“What?”

“Please? You and Allison take mine for the night and I’ll have yours. Just for one night, promise.”

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

No. It was a terrible idea. But so was inviting Derek and his sisters to his crappy apartment. They didn’t need to see how he really lived.

“Yes.”

“I’ll ask Allison, but only because you’re my best bro.”

Stiles grinned. “I owe you.”

“Damn right you owe me.”

*******

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. It was a terrible idea. Allison had said yes, if only because she would get to hear about how terribly his plan ended. Stiles had started the dinner as soon as he had arrived and ushered the couple out. With only fifteen minutes before Derek and his sisters were due to arrive Stiles hurriedly began taking down pictures that did not belong to him and removing any evidence that two people lived in the apartment. The doorbell rang as he was shoving the magazines under the master bedrooms bed.

“Hi!” He greeted a little too cheerfully, allowing Derek to pull him into a quick hug and a short kiss.

“This is my older sister, Laura, and my younger sister Cora.” Derek introduced, stepping inside to allow his siblings in.

“Nice to finally meet the boyfriend we’ve read so much about in the tabloids.”

Stiles resisted rolling his eyes. Derek, however, didn’t hold back, grumbling, “ _Laura_.” in a warning tone.

Laura grinned, pushing Stiles’ hand aside and going in for a hug. “You’re taller than I imagined.”

Stiles flushed lightly. “Um, thanks?”

Cora laughed. “Did you expect us to be mean or something? You’re so nervous.” Stiles fumbled over how to respond but Cora was talking before he had to. “I also imagined you taller.”

“I recognise you...” Stiles said as he pulled his hand away from her hand shake, ignoring the comment on his height. “I feel like I went to school with you or something?”

“Cora’s the same age as you.” Derek said quickly. “Someone from your school probably looks like her.”

Stiles frowned but stopped his staring at the youngest Hale. “Maybe...” He shrugged. “I think I’d remember if someone who looks like you was in my class.”

Cora laughed, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“This is a lovely apartment, Stiles.” Laura said, changing the subject as she hung her jacket up alongside Derek’s. “From what I’ve heard I didn’t take you for the home decorating type.”

He wasn’t the decorating type but they didn’t need to know that.

“It’s also not as far as you’re always making it out to be.” Derek added as they were lead to the kitchen where the table was half set.

Stiles smiled awkwardly and shrugged. “Yeah… um dinner will be ready soon, take a seat and I’ll bring it out.”

As they ate Cora pointed out that the décor of the apartment wasn’t what she had expected when Derek had described Stiles to them. “It’s very… Pinterest.” Laura hummed in agreement. “I expected more, I don’t know, nerdy posters.”

Derek elbowed Cora’s forearm. “Don’t be rude.”

Stiles laughed, albeit nervously. “It’s okay, it’s a fair assumption. My friend’s helped choose everything.” 

“So you do have nerd posters!” Laura cheered.

“How has Lydia been with everything that happened?” Derek asked to change the subject. Stiles realised pretty quickly that, that would be happening a lot during the evening. “She’s been bringing the article up every chance she gets.”

Laura laughed as she set down her glass red wine, “She’s been extra… dominating. I think it’s to take out her anger, not that she’s aggressive.” She added quickly, looking at Stiles.

“You know that, that is not what I meant.” Derek sighed.

“I’m confused.” Stiles looked over at Derek for help.

“Lydia is Laura’s girlfriend.” He explained.

“Fiancée.” She corrected proudly. “And I know, I was just messing. She’s been grumpy, if that’s what you were wanting to know.”

“Sorry.” Derek apologised.

“I understand.” Laura smiled sympathetically between the couple. “I’m sure you have both had more trouble than I have over all of this.”

Stiles looked down at the table and Derek placed a comforting hand on his knee. “We’re fine, despite it all.”

“Paparazzi don’t know any limits.” Cora muttered angrily.

“That’s true.” Derek laughed. “Kind of like you two.”

The joke seemed to lighten the mood that had set over the table for which Stiles was grateful.

Derek and Stiles cleared the table as Laura and Cora explored the apartment, ending up in the master bedroom. Cora frowned and pointed towards the en suite bathroom, the door to it open. Inside, along the countertop and glass shelves, there were products marketed towards men and products marketed towards women and two toothbrushes in a cup.

“That’s weird.” Cora said as she and her sister entered the bathroom.

“Maybe he prefers the floral scents.” Laura pondered, shrugging.

“There are two sets of everything in here, Laura.”

“Maybe Derek’s left stuff here.” Laura replied, her voice slightly less certain than before.

“Derek hasn’t been here before, he told us that.”

“I don’t know what else to tell you, Cora. We shouldn’t be doing this, it’s too much like snooping.”

“I’m going to ask.” Cora smiled mischievously.

“No don’t do-” Cora had left the bedroom before Laura could finish, "that..." Laura trailed off and quickly followed her sister down the hallway.

“Stiles!” She said too cheerily as she entered the kitchen. Stiles and Derek were in the middle of doing the dishes.

“Um, yes?”

“Cora-” Derek warned but she was interrupting him.

“There are products in your master bedroom, one set for a man and another for a woman. I’m not judging if you like to use women’s stuff, though I wouldn’t advise it, it’s more expensive, but Derek told us that he had never been here before so… I was wondering why?”

Stiles stuttered, eyes flicking between the two sisters now standing in his doorway, too scared to look over at Derek. “Um…”

“You’re not sharing a room with a woman are you?” Cora quizzed, a scowl on her face. “Because I don’t like cheaters, so if you’re cheating on Derek with some girl, or if you already had a girlfriend and you’re cheating on her with Derek then-”

“Stop, stop, stop, no, that’s not what’s going on!” Stiles hurriedly corrected. “I’m not cheating on anyone, I would never do that.”

“Explain what we found in the bathroom then.” Laura said, although unlike Cora she was much softer.

“I can’t- I mean- just-”

“Can I speak with Stiles alone?” Derek asked, motioning for his sisters to leave. They both left without question, though Cora sent Stiles a glare as she turned away.

“I’m sorry.” Stiles was apologising as soon as they were out of site, gripping the dishcloth in his hands tightly. His eyes were stinging and this was  _not_  happening. The night had gone so  _well_ , and now it was falling apart.

Derek moved to put the plate he had in his hands back in the sink and dried his hands. He rubbed his dry hands on Stile’s arms, running them up and down soothingly. “What’s going on, Stiles?” He asked gently, pulling Stiles into his chest.

Stiles stuttered his reply, hands gripping the front of Derek’s shirt to keep himself steady. “I just wanted to impress you and your family, I wanted them to like me. I didn’t – this is my friend’s apartment, his and his girlfriends. They let me borrow it for the night because mine is so crappy and I didn’t want you to see – see the neighbourhood I live in. I… I didn’t want you to realise I was a mistake.”

Derek pulled Stiles away from his chest to look at his face. “You’re not a mistake, Stiles. You could still be living at home, on your friend’s couch, I don’t care. I love you no matter what, it’s kind of part of the whole soulmate thing.”

Stiles dropped his head, “I’m sorry for lying.”

Derek nodded. “Don’t do it again.”

Stiles nodded against Derek’s chest. “I won’t.”

“Alright.” He kissed the top of Stiles’ head, smiling into his hair. “I’ll explain everything to my sisters.”

“Why aren’t you mad?” Stiles wondered, mostly to himself.

Derek laughed lightly, “Because I should have made that clear before you had a chance to worry about it. Go call your friends, I’d like to meet them.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter went very quickly and I don't know how I feel about that. I'll try make up for it in later chapters, whenever I find time. There probably won't be weekly updates for a while (I will try!) but I've started my last semester of uni and already my motivation has dropped lol

“You know sugar daddies?” Stiles asked from his place on one of Derek’s workout benches. He was doing much more observing than actual exercise.

Derek huffed as he did another sit up. “Yes.”

“Are you mine?”

Derek rolled his eyes, “No.”

Stiles sighed, “So you wouldn’t let me use your credit card?”

“I might. If you tell me why you need it?”

“Scott and Allison’s anniversary is coming up and I’d like to buy them something nice, but I’m broke.”

Derek shrugged as he stood up from his mat. “I’d let you use it for that.”

Stiles looked up surprised. “Really?”

Derek shrugged. “Sure.”

“Can I take them out to dinner too? Nothing too fancy.”

Derek walked over and leant over to give Stiles a kiss on the forehead. “As long as I get a little credit.”

“Thanks.” Stiles jumped up to return the kiss. “This definitely makes you my sugar daddy though.”

“Fine, but please don’t call be daddy when we’re in bed.”

Stiles grinned. “Oh, hey, what happened about the interview Lydia got you? You never said.”

“It never happened.” Derek took his time replying. “I don’t know why.”

Stiles frowned but shrugged away the doubt. “Okay.”

*******

“Where are we going?” Scott asked curiously as he and Stiles got off the bus.

“We’re going to the fanciest fucking restaurant in the city.”

“Is that why you made me wear this?” Scott asked, referencing the dress pants and shoes.

“I think they’re the type to reject you if you’re underdressed.” Stiles said.

“And you’re paying for this with Derek’s credit card? That he gave you? That’s not exactly what I meant when I said make him pay.”

“I said I was taking you and Allison out for your anniversary.”

“Our anniversary isn’t until December, it’s like a month away or something.”

“I lied, Scott. If you hadn’t noticed, Allison isn’t here either.”

“Oh.”

Stiles told the women at the door his last name and she led them to their reserved table.

“I don’t want any blame if you get in trouble.” Scott mumbled as he looked over the menu. “He can’t know this was sort of my idea.”

Stiles rolled his eyes, “Stop stressing.”

*******

Two young girls came up to them grinning as they made their way home, full of lobster and expensive wine.

“We’re such big fans of you and Derek!” One exclaimed. “Last week’s issue was so sweet. You’re so brave to come out like that!”

Stiles smiled politely, “Thank you, means a lot.”

“And Derek’s last interview was so honest!” The other gushed. “You’re so good to forgive him for everything. If it were me I’d walk away even if they were my soulmate.”

Stiles frowned, “What interview?”

“The Entertainment Weekly one. It was published last Saturday.” She replied, a _due_ tone to her voice.

“Oh, right.” Stiles replied blankly.

Sensing Stiles’ discomfort Scott stepped in. “We have to go, sorry.” Scott waved goodbye to the girls and pushed Stiles forward towards the row of taxies along the pavement. “Dude, are you alright?”

“What did they mean?” He asked quietly. “Derek said the interview didn’t happen.”

“You can ask when you get back, you’re going to his, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Stiles replied, still a little dazed with confusion.

*******

“They’re still saying we can’t sue on the grounds that you…”

Stiles heard as he entered Derek’s apartment with his spare key.

“I stopped them as soon as they brought it up.” He heard Derek say. “They’re trying to create drama.”

“It doesn’t matter that you were proven innocent, Derek.” That was Lydia’s voice. “It still matters to people that you were involved somehow.”

“This is all so fucking dumb.” Derek grumbled irritably. “I thought I left this in the past.”

“What’s going on?” Stiles questioned quietly.

“Stiles can you please go wait in the kitchen?” Lydia instructed.  “Something serious has come up.”

“Why can’t I know what that is?” Derek had become very pale when Stiles had entered. “What did you do?” He addressed the question towards Derek.

“Baby, please, you don’t want to get involved.”

“Some girls told me that if their soulmates had done what you did they’d have left them. So,” Stiles tried again, “what the _fuck_ did you do?”

“Nothing, it doesn’t matter.”

Stiles laughed as he replied, “It obviously does.”

Lydia huffed and began gathering up her belongings. “Call me tomorrow if you still want my help. I’m taking the rest of the night off.”

Stiles stepped out of the angry woman’s way, bowing his head as she sent him a glare, muttering something under her breath that Stiles didn’t catch.

“Derek…” Stiles said softly as the front door slammed shut, “what did you do?”

“I can’t discuss this right now, my heads fucked.”

Stiles resisted the urge to stomp his foot in frustration. “You can’t just cop out like that.”

“Well, I am.” Derek sighed. “Please, forget about it for now. Let’s go to bed. Tell me about the dinner you had.”

“Because that’s how adults handle their problems.” Stiles shrugged as Derek stayed quiet. “You’re really going to play ignore it until it goes away?” After a long pause Stiles sighed. “Alright.” He left the house, waiting by the front door for a moment in the hope that Derek would follow him.

He didn’t.

Wiping at his eyes Stiles left for the subway. The apartment was cold when he arrived home but his bed was made and inviting so he settled down with his blankets and his laptop. As much as it felt like going behind Derek’s back, he searched for the article and found it fairly quickly.

 

_**Derek Hale’s Teenage Mistake.** _

_Written by Matt Daehler, 17:42, 14 h November 2017_

[ _Above: Derek Hale, CEO, Photographer and Model for Alpha Fashion Magazine._ ]

  _It looks like Derek Hale just can’t get enough of the drama! Arson may be the last thing you would expect a man like Hale to be capable of, but a search into his past proves otherwise. Hale refused to comment when we questioned him about his past criminal trouble. Although he was cleared of any wrong doing, Hale, then sixteen, was under suspicion along with this then twenty-six year old girlfriend Kate Argent, for an arson attack at the local police station in Beacon Hills, California._

_Hale has recently come out as being in a relationship with his now twenty-four year old employee, Stiles Stilinski, with a magazine spread dedicated to the two. In our opinion, it’s a little self-absorbed of him to do so! However, it does raise the question, does Stilinski know about Hale’s past? If he does, does he forgive the wrong his soulmate has done? Or is Hale keeping his dirty past a secret? What else is Hale hiding from the public?_

_The age gap between the two young men certainly raises a few eyebrows…_

 

Stiles closed the page before he could read more. Tears were rolling down his face and his breathing was harsh as he absorbed the new information. Derek was keeping all of this from him? An _arson_ attack? He remembered Derek mentioning an ex-girlfriend called Kate, but he had never mentioned why they broke up, or that she was ten years older than him at the time. He could understand why Derek wouldn’t keep-

Wait. It happened at the _police station_ , where Stiles’ _dad_ worked. His dad and his colleagues had almost been killed in that attack… and Derek was partly behind it?

Stiles was calling his dad before he was registering that he had pressed his name.

“Stiles?”

“Hey dad.” He replied shakily.

“Is something wrong son?”

“I just, um, read about… about Derek’s, um, his arson thing.”

John sighed heavily, “Okay.” He paused. “How did you find out?”

“He did an interview, well he said it was cancelled, but I found out he had it but stopped half way through because they were asking him questions about it.”

“So he didn’t tell you himself?”

“No.”

“I’m glad you know now.”

“I feel like I don’t know him anymore.” Stiles chocked, swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat. “He wouldn’t even tell me when I _asked_. He said it wasn’t important.”

“This is why I didn’t want you involved with him, Stiles. He’s got history you don’t know and that the media want to get a hold of. He’ll drag you down with him.”

Stiles was crying then, tears he couldn’t blink away running down his cheeks. “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t _he_ tell me? He was angry with me for lying to him and then I find out he’s been keeping _this_ from me!”

“I’m in no position to tell you what to do, son.” John sighed. “I don’t like him. But I know he makes you happy and maybe you should try talking before you make any decisions.”

“He doesn’t want to talk about it.” Stiles sniffed, wiping his face with his sleeve. “He wanted to talk about my day, like I hadn’t just walked in on him discussing controversy.”

“Take some space from each other, let him think. I’m sure he’s just as upset as you are.”

“Why are you helping?” Stiles asked after a moment.

“Did you want me to tell you to break up with him and move back home?”

Stiles rolled his eyes, “Of course not.”

“Then what good would me telling you to do that do?”

“Not much.”

“I just want you happy, Stiles.”

Stiles smiled to himself. “Thanks dad.”


	8. Chapter 8

Stiles considered not showing up for work the following Monday but bills needed paying so his choices were limited. Opening the front door Stiles was met with Erica and Isaac behind the front desk, looking stressed.

“No, sorry, we’re not taking any today. You’ll have to contact Lydia Martin.” Isaac was patiently replying for what sounded like the hundredth time.

“We were told to hang up if they were prescient.” Erica sighed, reaching over to take the phone from Isaac’s hand and hanging up for him. “Hi, Stiles.” She greeted.

“Hi, um, I have a fitting today, right?”

“Room 56.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Stiles was dressed in his first outfit of the day, a jean jacket and dark jeans. The briefing of what the day would consist of was short and the everyone around Stiles seemed to be working in minimal silence. No one was making much eye contact with him and everyone was tripping over him to get him what he wanted, which was unusual. Almost everyone had treated him like a normal employee before he and Derek had come out about their relationship, so to have people acting as if they had to treat Stiles like royalty was... embarrassing. At lunch Stiles left to get coffee instead of using the catering available on set and when we he arrived back Erica was talking to Derek from behind the front desk, the rest of the entrance deserted.

“You didn’t tell me you were going out for coffee.” Erica grouched upon his entry.

Stiles shrugged. “You weren’t around to ask if you wanted one. Sorry.” Stiles refused to look Derek in the eye as he turned in the direction of the elevators but was stopped from pushing the call button by a hand on his wrist.

“You can’t ignore me forever.”

“I’m giving you space.”

“By coming in to work, where you know I also work?”

Stiles scowled at the wall in front of him. “I have to pay my bills, you know?" He shook Derek's hand from his wrist before adding, "You lied to me.”

“When?”

Stiles whirled around, suddenly furious. “You were mad at me when I lied to you! You told me to never lie to you again but you’ve been keeping the fact that you nearly _killed my_ _father_  from me this whole time! That's why I've been ignoring you!”

Derek’s eyes widened and he grabbed Stiles by the hand, pulling him back towards the counter and through the door behind it. “Cancel my meeting at two.” He instructed to Erica over his shoulder. When the door was safely closed he turned back to Stiles. “You're being childish and immature. If you would have talked to me you would know that that is _not_ how it happened. How do you even _know_ about that?”

Stiles ignored the question. “When you were on your phone the other day… was that really about your sisters or was it about the arson?”

Derek groaned. “It was about the – what happened. But Stiles, I didn’t do anything wrong, they _proved_ that.”

Stiles was tearing up all over again. “You didn’t tell me. What I did, it was because I was _embarrassed_. I’ve spent this whole time feeling so guilty over that and you’ve been going about your day not bothered at all that you let your girlfriend-”

“Ex-”

“-try to burn down the police station. You didn’t even tell me you were from Beacon Hills. You said I probably knew someone who looked like your sister. That was your sister I was remembering, wasn’t it?”

“We left when she was young. I didn’t think it mattered-”

“Bullshit!”

“Stiles please.” Derek begged. “I was going to tell you, I didn’t want you to find out… however you did. Can we talk this out like adults?”

Stiles took a deep breath, drying his face quickly. “Don't condescend me by calling my feelings immature." Stiles looked down at his coffee cup. "My dad told me. Well, no, a girl told me and then I asked my dad about it.”

“Can you hear it from my point of view? Instead if the media or… or a victims?”

Stiles lent down against one of the shelves in the large cupboard. “Go ahead.”

“My ex, I mentioned her on our first date I think. She committed arson while we were together, but I sort of… helped her cover it up? You have to understand she was much older than me, she manipulated me. She faked the… the pull you feel when you first meet your soulmate, the one I said I felt towards you. I was too inexperienced to understand if I was feeling it too.”

Stiles nodded in understanding.

“She demanded that I keep our relationship a secret, said we’d both be in trouble if someone found out. She threatened that every time I said I didn’t want to help.”

“She manipulated you.”

“She did.” Derek took a deep breath. “I… I helped her buy materials, mostly gasoline.  I hid it in my room for her. She ended up trying to burn down the police station.”

Stiles shuddered at the mention of the building.

Derek wasn’t meeting Stiles’ eyes as he continued. “No one was killed. I thought that it would be okay because not much damage was done.”

“Oh my god.” Stiles whispered to himself.

“I kept evidence. I lied to the police when they found me nearby.”

“Jesus.”

“Stiles, it wasn’t my fault. You have to believe me.”

Stiles screwed his eyes closed, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands. “My dad could have been killed.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You lied to me about this.”

“I know.”

“This is going to take _so much_ rebuilding. I need to know everything.”

“I’m willing to do that.”

“I also want my dad to forgive you. If he can trust you then I think I’ll be alright.”

Derek agreed reluctantly and they lapsed into silence.

“Um, Mr Hale?” Erica asked quietly from the other side of the door.

Derek opened the door and they both stepped out, faces flushed. “Yes?”

“Sorry to interrupt but they need Stiles in ten minutes.”

“It’s okay Erica we were done anyway.” Stiles replied before Derek could. “Thanks for letting me know.” 

Erica sent her boss a sympathetic look as Stiles walked away without a backwards glance. "It'll work itself out." She spoke quietly. "I think you both need to put away your pride for it to, though, if you don't mind me saying, Mr Hale." 

Derek raised an eyebrow at the comment. "I'd rather you stayed out of my personal life." He replied smoothly. "But thank you." 

*******

“I’ll get it.” Scott waved Stiles back to his seat when there was a knock on the door.

“This is my apartment.” Stiles laughed, but sat back down.

"You've had a long day, sit!" Scott called back, chuckling. His laughter died down when he opened the door. He looked between the man standing at the door and down the hall where the living room door was open and he could see Stiles on the couch. “Um…”

“You must be Scott.” Derek smiled awkwardly, reaching his hand out to shake Scott’s. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Same here.” Scott said with a judging tone. “I’ll let Stiles know you’re here.”

“Who was it?” Stiles asked, looking up.

“It’s, uh, it’s Derek.”

Stiles groaned. “I’ll go talk to him.”

“Stiles-”

“It’s okay.” Stiles shrugged, leaving his glass on the side table on his way out. “I talked to Dad when I came home from work yesterday.” Stiles said without a hello. “He said he’d just been speaking with you.”

“I wanted to explain myself to him.” Derek replied, closing the front door behind him as he stepped inside.

“He says he forgives you.”

Derek nodded. “He said he does.”

“I’m still going to have to work on trust.”

“That’s fair.”

“Stiles the DVD is- hi! You must be Derek.” Allison introduced herself. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

Derek appeared frozen to the carpet. “You’re…”

Allison’s smile wavered. “Allison… Stiles’ friend. Scott’s girlfriend.”

“Kate’s niece…”

Allison’s face became guarded. “How do you know who my aunt is?”

“She was… I was…”

“No. No fucking way.” Stiles swore. “You can’t be serious? This isn’t actually happening right now.”

“You didn’t tell me Scott’s girlfriend was an _Argent_.” Derek stage whispered to Stiles. “Did you not think that that was important information?”

“I didn’t think…”

Allison rolled her eyes impatiently. “Can someone _please_ tell me what the problem is?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a mess but I really want to finish it! (still a better plot that seasons 5 and 6...)

“Call if you need me.” Scott insisted as he was ushered out the door by Stiles.

Stiles nodded and waved the couple off before closing the door behind them.

“Well that wasn’t how I expected tonight going.” Stiles said with an awkward laugh.

“Stiles-”

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re what?”

Stiles sighed and walked over to where Derek was hovering in the doorway. He wrapped his arms around Derek’s shoulders and rested his forehead against his crook of his elbow. “I didn’t put two and two together. That was dumb of me.”

“You’re not at fault.”

“I know but I feel like we could have avoided…  _ that _ .”

Derek chuckled. “It wasn’t that bad.”

“I’m pretty sure Scott was ready to cry when she wouldn’t stop apologising.”

Derek rolled his eyes and rubbed a hand that was resting on the small of Stiles’ back up and down soothingly. “I should have told you everything.”

Stiles pulled back. “No. You have the right to tell me what you want about your past. Your past is just that, the past. I care about what you do now.”

Derek smiled cheekily and raised his eyebrows suggestively. “Is it too soon to offer an...  _ apology _ then?”

Stiles rolled his eyes at the suggestion. “I think… it would be rude to decline such an offer.”

*******

(one week later)

Derek was checking his bank account during his lunch break when he noticed something that didn’t look right. He had only been to that restaurant once and it had been months before the date suggested on the statement in front of him. He frowned and looked at the date closer. Wasn’t that when Stiles had said Allison and Scott’s anniversary was? He had promised not to take them anywhere too expensive…

Derek called Isaac down at reception, tapping his fingers on his desk as he waited for his employee to answer.

“Sir?”

“Hi, Isaac, could you send Stiles up to me please?”

“Isn’t he on break, sir?”

“Yes but this is important. He can bring his lunch with him.”

“Okay, I’ll send him right away.”

“Thank you.”

Derek waited impatiently for Stiles to come up, scrolling aimlessly through the rest of the accounts while he did.

“What’s up?” Stiles asked without knocking.

“You should knock before entering.” Derek replied impatiently.

Stiles frowned as he closed the door behind him. “Okay… sorry?” He left his large plate of chicken salad on the desk and walked around to Derek’s side, inviting himself onto the elders lap. Derek huffed and pulled away from the kiss Stiles tried to initiate. “Oh- _ kayyy _ someone’s grumpy.”

Derek moved the monitor so that Stiles could look at it. “Care to explain this?”

Stiles leaned forward to read what he was being showed. “Uh… you make a lot of money?”

“ _ Stiles _ .”

“What am I supposed to be looking at?” He was genuinely confused about what his boyfriend was trying to hint towards.

“The restaurant.”

_ Oh... _

“You knew about that, I asked you for the card so that I could take Scott out.”

“You said you weren’t going anywhere too fancy.”

Stiles kissed Derek’s forehead and left his cheek pressed there. “Sorry.”

“I thought it was Scott and Allison going to dinner?”

“Oh, um, it was.”

Derek sighed, trying his best not to sound angry. “You don’t sound so sure.”

Stiles slid off from his perch and backed up around to the other side of the desk. “Okay well… please don’t be mad.”

Derek stood from his chair frowning deeper. “People usually say that when you’re going to be mad.”

“I know. I fucked up. I was angry, okay? I don’t even remember why… but I sort of… took Scott out to dinner to the most expensive place I could think of and used your card.”

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose. “Was it even their anniversary?”

Stiles shrunk back feeling small. “No.”

“You were so angry at me for lying about what I did and there you are lying to me.” Derek was watching Stiles now.

Stiles could feel the anger in just the look he was receiving. “I know… but that was different it was a big deal this was just… me feeling petty.”

“You lied about how you were spending my  _ money _ , Stiles. This  _ is _ a big deal.”

Stiles’ hands shook lightly as Derek raised his voice at him. “I’m sorry. It was Scott’s idea-”

“I don’t care whose idea it was! You know the difference between right and wrong, no?”

“Yes…”

“Then you knew that what you were doing was stupid.”

“Yes.”

“Stiles… I can’t keep doing this.” Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “We can’t keep having a week or two of being fine and then have a few days of not wanting to see each other. It isn’t healthy.”

Stiles was quiet for a moment before whispering, “What are you saying?”

“I think… maybe this soulmate thing isn’t right.”

If it were possible to physically feel your heart break Stiles was pretty sure he would been feeling it then. “Wh… what?”

“Maybe we should take a break from each other.”

“No.” Stiles replied immediately. “No, that’s not how we solve this.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

Stiles’ face went blank.

“We can’t keep doing this to each other.”

“That was so long ago-”

“No, Stiles.”

Stiles chewed the sleeve of his jacket between his teeth while he waited for Derek to say more.

“I think we rushed into this.” He began after a moment. “Maybe we need some time to think about if this is really want we want. Soulmates don’t  _ need _ to end up together.”

Stiles nodded minutely. “You’re breaking up with me.”

Derek didn’t reply, but his frown deepened.

“W-what about work?”

“Take the rest of the day off.” The pair were refusing to look at each other. “I’ll have Erica schedule us so that we don’t have to work together. This isn’t- I don’t want this to be permanent, Stiles. I just want to clear my head.”

Stiles scoffed. “You want a break? Like Ross and Rachel?”

“ _ Fuck _ , no, don’t be childish about this, please.”

Stiles sighed. “I don’t really know how to act right now, Derek. Just this morning you told me you loved me.”

Derek looked up, finally, and looked up in Stiles’ direction. “I do love you. And I know this seems sudden but I think it’s been building slowly and maybe a break would be good for both of us. I promise, it won’t be for long.”

Stiles shrugged. He didn’t know much about relationships, and he wasn’t about to take advice from television shows, so be accepted Derek’s request. He left Derek’s office and with a monotone voice said, “I’ll be expecting an email from Isaac by tonight.” 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments on the last chapter! I had expected people to not care about this anymore so it was very motivating to hear what people thought. I will be editing these last few chapters eventually but for now they are unedited so. please, if you see mistakes let me know. 
> 
> The date on the "article" is random because I lost track of where I was when I started writing this. It's frustrating becasuse I had tried so hard to keep the time scale accurate before but I failed lol

It was safe to say that it took precisely the time it took Stiles to leave the building for Derek to realise the mistake he had made.

“Snap decisions made out of anger never end well.” Erica shrugged from her seat in the employee kitchen. Isaac was making coffee for Derek who had fled from his office after Isaac had given him the call that Stiles had left as in instructed. 

“I knew it was a mistake as it was coming out of my mouth.” Derek groaned behind his hands.

“You know you can call him, right?” Isaac pointed out as he placed the hot mug in front of his boss. “Pretending I’m not on the clock for five minutes, you’re a dumbass, dude.”

Derek raised his head to glare at his friend. “I’ll excuse that language, but only because I’m having a crisis.” 

Erica tapped her fingers on the table, watching Derek with worried eyes. “Maybe give him some time to cool off. He has the rest of the week off, try talking to him on Monday.”

Derek picked up his coffee with both hands, ignoring the fact that the mug was still slightly too hot to be holding. “I can’t believe I made such a small thing into such a big deal.” 

Erica smiled sadly. “You’re just stressed. Maybe you should take the rest of the week off as well.”

Derek bit his lip in thought before looking over at her. “That might be a good idea, actually.”

Isaac and Erica looked at each other in surprise. Derek and taking time off work didn’t often go together in the same sentence. 

“Don’t worry,  _ Mr Hale _ , we’ll keep the place running smoothly.”

Derek rolled his eyes at Isaac, but he was smiling fondly. 

*******

Derek did come back to work the following week, as did Stiles. Except, Derek’s attempts to talk to his soulmate did nothing to ease the tension in the workplace, in fact, the tension only grew due to Stiles ignoring the attempts. 

He was polite about, he told himself, as he tried not to let Derek’s upset facial features get to him as he rejected the offer of having lunch together for the fourth time that week.

This cycle repeated for two more weeks, until it was the third Friday in a row or Derek coming home alone to spend the evening by himself. Well, that was the plan until Erica came knocking on the door and invited him to join herself, Isaac, and two of their friends for drinks. 

“We should mix our social circles more.” Erica inisted as he tied his shoes. 

“Our social circles are mixed just fine.” Derek huffs as he stands. “Give me your keys if you’re going to be drinking.” 

Erica dropped her car keys into Derek’s outstretched palm. “Was just about to.” She commented as they left. 

*******

The last person Derek was expecting to see when he walked into the bar was Scott. He was sitting with Allison and Isaac and they were all looking intently at what looked to be a trashy magazine. 

“Derek!” Erica spoke cheerfully. “I’d like you to meet Allison and Scott-”

“We’ve met.” Scott interrupted the introductions.  

Erica looked surprised. “Oh?”

“Scott is Stiles’ best friend.” Derek informed her as he took his seat. 

“You,” Erica pointed towards Scott, “never mentioned knowing Derek. Or Stiles.” 

Scott shrugged. “You never mentioned knowing them either.” 

“Well, this is going to be less awkward at least…” Isaac started, looking between everyone at the table and noticing the tension. “Or not.” 

“No, no we’re all good, I think.” Allison spoke up, sending Derek an unsure smile that he thought was actually meant to be reassuring. 

Erica sat down next to Scott and snatched the magazine he had crumpled upon their arrival from his grasp. “What are you hiding?”  

“It’s nothing Erica don’t-”

“Oh.” 

Her change in expression caught Derek’s interest. “What’s wrong?”

She looked between their friends, biting her lip. “Should I…?”

“How bad can it be?” Derek huffed, reaching across and plucking the magazine out of Erica’s hands. 

What he found, well his friends reactions were probably warranted. Spread across the pages were photos of Stiles, one with Derek, and one with a woman Derek didn’t recognise. He couldn’t stop himself before he was reading.

 

**_Alpha Model Stiles Stilinski Seen with Unknown Female_ **

****__

_ Written by Matt Daehler, 10:11, 5 _ _ th _ _ January 2018. _

_ [Above left: Stiles Stilinski, Alpha Fashion model with the unknown woman. Right: Derek Hale, Alpha Fashion CEO and Stiles Stilinski.]  _

_ Stiles Stilinski has been seen spending time with an unknown woman and while this is not something most would bat an eye to, it should be known that Stilinski has not been seen alongside his apparent soulmate and boyfriend, Derek Hale. Some are speculating the pair have broken up. Others suggest that perhaps their entire relationship was faked for publicity. As we all know, Stilinski came out of nowhere and rose in popularity quickly upon the reveal that he was the soulmate of Hale. Should we be questioning their relationship? Or are we really seeing a break up between two soulmates? _

 

Derek shoved the magazine back over to Erica, having enough. “Why do you read that? It’s all trash.”

“Derek…” Erica spoke softly. “Everyone here, the people at this table, we all know that your relationship with Stiles is real.”

“I think he should be more worried about the girl Stiles is with-”

“ _ Isaac _ .” Scott kicked the other boys shin to quiet him.

“Do any of you know who it is?” They all shook their heads and Derek sighed heavily. “I think I should talk to him.”

“Haven’t you been trying?” Allison spoke softly, smiling gently as Derek looked over in her direction. 

“He doesn’t want to talk right now. I hurt him.”

“Which I’m still mad about, you know?” Scott chided. “He can’t know I stayed after you showed up.” 

“Could you maybe try to get him to talk to me? I regretted this the moment I said it.”

“Why did you do it then?” Scott was sounded serious, which, from the small amount of time Derek had spent with his boyfriends friend, and from what Stiles had said about him, wasn’t something that happened often.

Derek sighed heavily for what felt like the millionth time. “He lied to me. I panicked, I think. Everything was going well and then I just… doubted him.”

“Stiles is the most loyal person you will ever meet.” Scott proclaimed proudly. He pushed what was now his empty glass that he had been sipping on throughout the conversation out of his way and lent forward on the table, hand clasped. “What did he lie about exactly?” 

“He used my credit card to take you out to dinner. I said no where too expensive.” 

Scott shrunk back at that. He had a pretty good idea what dinner Derek was talking about. 

“He also said that it was for your anniversary.” 

“Okay…” Scott rubbed the back of his neck. “That wasn’t cool of him Did he… say  _ why _ he did it? Why he lied?”

“He was angry at me. I can’t even remember why.”

Scott thought for a moment, his friends waiting impatiently.

“Go over to his place. Don’t take no for an answer if he tries to send you away. Step inside and tell him your sorry for being so impulsive over the whole thing. He should soften up with that. Don’t play dirty. No running your hands down his arms or pulling him in for a hug. He has to initiate that.” 

“You seem sure that, that will work.” Erica commented.

“Sounds too simple to me.” Isaac added.

“I’ve known Stiles longer than any of you. We probably know each other  _ too _ well.” 

“I’m willing to try anything at this point.” Derek murmured miserably.  He downed the last dregs of his beer, frowning to himself as he thought over what Scott had said. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has read this far! I will try to go back and make it better at some point but I lost my motivation for this story a long time ago. I didn't want to leave it unfinished, though, so I've done, well, not my best, but I've done what I can. Sorry this last chapter is so short, I usually try to make chapters no less than 1,000, but I didn't want to force the ending too much.

Scott watches as Stiles slumps down in a chair in the staff office, pastries from his old work place on the table and magazine over his lap. It feels worryingly like before, before Stiles found Derek. 

“You owe me $5.” Stiles murmured as Scott took a danish from the bag. 

“I miss when these were free.” 

Stiles scoffed. “I don’t, turns out modeling pays more than standing all day behind a counter.” 

“Yeah…” Scott sat up, frown deepening, “about that.”

Stiles looked up from the page he was reading. “What?”

Scott sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Well… have you broken up with Derek? Or is this more of a break?”

“Derek made the decision that he didn’t want to see me. I’m only doing as he wished.”

“I know he’s tried to contact you Stiles.”

Stiles dropped the magazine onto the table. “You’ve been reading those trashy articles again.” 

“Well… yeah, they’re about my best friend!” Scott replied defensively. “We’re all worried. And… curious. Who is the girl?”

Stiles rolled his eyes. “She used to work with me. We’ve been catching up, we were good friends. You remember Aubrey?” 

“Oh… yeah, uh,” Scott coughed uncomfortably, “I remember her.” 

“Why is it such a big deal?”

“Well you see… Derek… he didn’t know who she was and I told him I didn’t…”

Stiles groaned, “So he believed a uninformed article without even asking me about it first? What did he think was going on?”

“What do you think?”

Stiles shrugged. “Does he not like Aubrey? I didn’t even think he knew her.” 

Scott facepalmed. “And people call  _ me  _ the dense one? He thought you were cheating, idiot.” 

Stiles frowned. “Why would he assume that, though?”

“I don’t know.” Scott stood at the sound of the front desk bell ringing. “If you want my opinion, talk to him. Not on the phone or at work, go to his place and sit down with him. Explain why you went against what he said when using his card, don’t let him interrupt you. Tell him why you were so hurt when you didn’t listen to you the first time, and explain the article to him. Then let him tell you his side.” 

*******

It took three attempts for Stiles to actually ring Derek’s doorbell. His palms were sweaty by the time the door was opened, revealing Derek in sweats and a thing long sleeved t-shirt. The elder was visibly surprised to see Stiles on the other side of his door. 

“Hey…” He said shyly, swinging his arms back and forth awkwardly as he looked for the what to say. “Can I come in?” 

Derek nodded and stood to the side, closing the door behind Stiles as he spoke, “Are we okay?”

Stiles turned around at the question. “I hope so.” 

“I, um, I saw those pictures… I just, um, want to know who-”

“An old coworker. She’s just a friend, Derek.” 

Derek nodded again, a small smile on his lips that he hoped Stiles didn’t catch. 

They were silent for a moment, standing awkwardly in Derek’s hallway.

“I’m sorry.” They suddenly said, almost in sync with each other. It broke the tension enough for them to laugh. 

“I’m not… I’m bad at communicating how I feel.” Stiles said first, blushing. “I never had serious talks with my parents or anything so… it’s something I need to work on. I won’t walk away anymore, when there’s something we need to say.”

Derek broke the distance between them, pulling Stiles into his body and wrapping a hand around the back of his head to pull him down onto his shoulder, protectively. 

“I love you.” Derek pressed a kiss to the side of Stiles’ head. “This wouldn’t have happened if we had just talked but what happened has happened and we can only move forward so…”

Stiles held back a laugh but couldn’t help but comment, “You sound like the ending of a movie.” 

Derek rolled his eyes, but he was smiling broadly. “You make me feel like I’m in a movie so at least it’s appropriate.” 

“Oh my  _ god _ , no, no more of that you’re ruining the moment.” Stiles pulled back to look at Derek, hands resting on his waist. 

Derek leaned in and kissed Stiles lightly. “I missed you.” He murmured the words against the younger’s lips before pressing forward again, letting Stiles be the one to put more pressure into the kiss. Derek mentally breathed a sigh of relief when the kiss was returned with enthusiasm. 

“Scott’s going to get whiplash when I tell him I came over.” Stiles giggled when the couple pulled away to catch their breath. 

“Tell him gently.” Derek chuckled. “Now…” 

“Now what?”

“Do you remember the way to my bedroom?” 

A grin took over Stiles’ face and the younger took Derek’s hand in his, stopping himself from running up the stairs in his excitement. 

*******

**Quite some time later…**

 

****


End file.
